Bastion
by ShiningScribbler
Summary: Takes place several weeks after Resident Evil 6. Ada Wong is nearing the end of her ultimate goal, but at what cost? Leon S. Kennedy finds himself on a mysterious island called "Bastion" in the search for Ada, but what does he find? As these two agents paths converge for what seems to be a final time, an enemy long thought dead reveals itself in a desperate struggle for the world.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Greetings all. Just recently jumped into this fandom and find the characters of Leon and Ada to be fascinating. I've read and respect the works of the famous Ada Adore and hope to do our beloved duo justice in this story. Enjoy the ride. **

**Prologue **

**UNDERNEATH THE RUINS OF A DEAD CITY**

_Ada Wong_

She stepped into the silent room. All around, machines hummed and monitors glowed with complicated data. Her eyes took stock of all this, not really taking in any of it – just making sure that everything was normal, everything was in its place. After affirming that none of the equipment was malfunctioning, a sigh of relief escaped her lips, shoulders relaxing from released tension.

For once, she wasn't in trouble. There were no shadowy agents chasing her; there were no mindless, shuffling infected gnashing their bloodied jaws; no monstrous B.O.W.'s getting in her way. Most of her adult life had been faced with some sort of ridiculous danger after the next, with the whole world seemingly against her on some days. That last part had become reality in recent days – despite having cleared her name, which had been associated with a major act of bio-terrorism in China, an international bounty still existed on her head from a previous assignment.

Ada Wong sighed inwardly. As far as she was concerned, she had been downgraded from Number One most wanted to Number Two. _So much for my reputation of keeping low-key_, she thought. Her employers had become more cautious in giving out assignments, and the boring stretches between jobs were getting longer and longer.

It made sense, though. Spies weren't supposed to be world famous – or infamous, in the case of Ada Wong.

No, the most pressing matter on Ada Wong's mind was the silent figure floating inside of a large, water filled tank. Ada stepped closer to the tank and placed a hand on the chilly glass. Doing so cleared her mind, and she gazed into the tank at the figure's sleeping face, utterly peaceful, free of all the problems that came with the living.

"Almost there," she whispered. And it was true; Ada's goal had never been closer within her grasp. In the dim lighting, she managed to catch a glimpse of her face: pinched, drawn tight with weariness and stress. She was being hunted; the certainty of it was confirmed in her constantly tingling danger sense every time she stepped out into the open. These days Ada was constantly looking over her shoulder, and it was making her weary. Being vigilant and alert every second of every day was necessary, but as any good agent knows, downtime was needed to retain the sharpness integral to surviving in this business.

Sharpen a blade too much and in the end you aren't left with anything. It cracks or disintegrates entirely.

But her tiredness was irrelevant – now wasn't the time to be getting soft-hearted. She was close to finishing and making good on her promise made a lifetime ago.

Ada Wong finished what she started, with or without help. Always had, always will.

_I'm the real Ada Wong! I don't need anyone's help! _

She winced at the sudden memory. Carla's little doppelganger act, annoying as it was, had been far from being truly Ada. But at the end, certain things she said had hit a nerve.

Anyway, there would be time for rest afterwards, long days of sleeping in, lounging in the sun, spending time with –

Ada shut down that last thought. _I must be really tired if that's what I'm thinking about._

Her communicator chimed. Ada glanced at the Caller ID before answering.

The person on the other end of the line was terse and brief. "Yes, I'm available." She listened intently for the next minute.

"I can leave within the hour," she replied. The call ended.

Ada felt the familiar mix of emotions wash over her at the prospect of a new job – along with an unfamiliar sense of melancholy. If everything went to plan, this would be the last one. She would finish this and keep her promise.

However she could. Whatever the cost.

Ada strode towards the exit, but hesitated at the last step. She turned to for a last look at the silent, sleeping occupant of the water tank, focusing on the face. A face that was peaceful, almost deathly so if it weren't for the occasional twitch of the lips or eyes that indicated otherwise.

A face that was her own, but not.

"Soon," she said and left.

**LEON'S APARTMENT **

_Leon S. Kennedy _

"Damn it!" The curse left Leon S. Kennedy's mouth in a loud snarl. He watched blood drip from the cut on his cheek into the sink in big, red droplets. His dog, Lana, poked her head around the bathroom door, curious at the noise.

Leon set down his razor and began rummaging around the drawers looking for gauze to stem the flow of blood. Lana perched herself at his feet, her jaw opening in a big doggie grin. He gave her an affectionate squeeze on the ear. "Glad to see someone's having fun at my expense," he muttered.

"Oh, she's not the only one," said a sly voice. Leon jerked in surprise – which caused blood to spill all over the bathroom counter. His eyes located the source of the voice, issued from his communicator lying on the counter (untouched by the blood drops, thankfully). The screen featured the amused face of Ingrid Hunnigan.

"Good morning Leon."

Leon found some gauze and slapped it over the cut, and tried to think of a polite response this early in the morning. "Hunnigan," he replied. "Go away. I can't stand the sight of you."

"I've got news for you, Leon," she continued, ignoring his remark.

Leon sighed inwardly. He gathered some paper towels and began to wipe clean the bathroom counter. "What is it? Another mission?"

Hunnigan grinned. "Nope."

He waited for her to continue. Hunnigan continued to grin at him from his communicator.

Dressed only in his boxers, bleeding from a cut on his cheek, this early in the morning, Leon felt old. "I'm hanging up now."

"Alright, alright. No, it's not a mission. I've been doing as you asked, and I think I found her."

Leon paused mid-wipe. His dog Lana cocked her head at him, sensing his sudden interest and sense of excitement. He picked up his communicator and looked at Hunnigan properly. "Where?" he asked, keeping his tone calm.

"On an island, in the middle of the Atlantic."

"That's it?" Leon could not keep his sense of disappointment at bay.

Hunnigan arched an eyebrow. "You know her better than anyone, Leon. She's a hard woman to find. And I've been kept busy since the Simmons Incident. This was all done on my own free time."

Leon ran a hand through his hair, a sense of chagrin quickly filling him. He should have known better than to question Hunnigan's capabilities. She'd had his back since his early days of being a government agent fighting bio-terrorism. Leon might be the one fighting on the front lines against all the B.O.W.'s loosed against innocents, but it was people like Hunnigan that made sure that he had the best equipment and knowledge to bring against those monstrosities. Forewarned is forearmed, the old saying went, and Hunnigan was one of the best at what she did, as experienced in the process of information gathering as Leon was in fighting.

Recent events however had brought Ingrid Hunnigan under scrutiny, thanks to the machinations of Derek Simmons. The fact that she had worked personally for him during the Tall Oaks Incident, which had been enacted under his orders and resulted in the deaths of the President and thousands of others, caused investigators to question whether or not she really knew what was going on. Despite the testimonies of Agent Helena and Leon himself providing staunch defense on her behalf, saying that Hunnigan had no choice and no idea what was really going on, investigators continued to make inquiries to this day. It didn't help that Hunnigan gave herself partial blame of the whole affair- it was her job to be on top of sensitive information such as Simmons shady actions at the time, and the fact that she wasn't dealt a significant blow to her confidence.

"Sorry, Ingrid. I appreciate you taking the time to do this for me. I'll make it up to you at some point, I promise."

Hunnigan smirked. "I'll just add it to the tab on our dinner date."

Leon winced. The "dinner date" was a private joke between Leon and Ingrid, a metaphorical date that Leon was supposed to take Ingrid on, when things were quiet, as a way of thanks for having his back all these years. The way she kept adding to the tab, and how frequently, Leon suspected that he would have to declare bankruptcy when the time came.

"You have the coordinates?"

"Of course." She gave it to him and he memorized it.

He thanked her and hung up.

He made sure that Lana was well taken care of at his neighbors, a friendly elderly couple that he ran errands for as thanks for always taking care of his beloved dog for him while he was away. Leon said his goodbyes and made his way to a local, private airport. He would be acting alone, without the sanction of his agency – technically he was supposed to be on vacation, and besides, they were busy with other things.

Outside his apartment he hailed for a taxi. One came, the driver a bearded, portly fellow with a cheerful attitude. "Where to, boss?"

Leon gave him the address and they were off. He checked his bag again making sure he hadn't forgotten anything when a peculiar object caught his eye.

Ada's compact. He took it out, ran his fingers over its smooth, white surface. Like its owner, its pretty surface was deceptive and there was usually more to it than what met the eye. Leon reflected on it, and more importantly, what he had put inside it after Helena had given it to him.

_For the next time you see her. _

Leon smiled.

"Not yours, I take it?" Leon looked up to find the cabbie glancing through the rearview mirror.

Leon replied, "No, definitely not. Doesn't match my color." The cabbie snorted.

"Belong to a special lady friend then?"

Leon considered for a while. The cabbie chuckled. "No need to answer. I know that feeling."

"Do you? How'd you deal with it?"

The cabbie raised his hand in answer. A ring gleamed in the morning light on one of his fingers.

Leon sat back. "Huh. Good answer."

Musing to himself, Leon closed his eyes. It would be at least twenty minutes till the airport and considering the fact that he was chasing Ada Wong (again) this would be the last good bit of rest he would get for awhile.

Ada Wong. When he found her, he hoped that she would listen to what he had to say.

"Soon," he said and dozed off.

**Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed and look forward to the first chapter of "Bastion". I've got a wicked ride planned for these two. Lend me your reviews and thanks again. **

**Sincerely, **

**ShiningScribbler**


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: And here we are! The next installment in my Bastion story. Hope you enjoy. We've only just begun. **

**Chapter 1 **

"Converging Paths"

**BASTION ISLAND, UNDERSEA CAVE **

_Ada Wong _

The diving suit was cutting edge. It was the result of continual year long testing by an elite team of German engineers, funded by mysterious benefactors, who utilized the most advanced breakthroughs in undersea mechanics. The suit could power along the ocean floor without recharge for at least three days. It held enough oxygen within its reserves for at least twice that amount of time. Its current highest speed was listed at 15 knots per hour permitting fair conditions or stray currents. Its hard outer shell was designed to withstand the worst barring a point-blank torpedo blast. The high-grade armor, scanner system, and defensive weaponry were beyond even what the military currently had on its most elite vehicles. Numerous pockets within the suit held rations should a malfunction occur and the wearer become stranded underwater, to which the suit would let loose a distress beacon hailing the nearest rescue vessel. There was even a waste disposal system should the occupant need to use the bathroom. All this added technology gave the suit a large, cumbersome appearance that had an eerie bogeyman quality to it, like some ancient, undersea golem come to life which lent it the name "Bogeyman".

What it did _not _have, Ada Wong reflected bitterly, was an air conditioning system. _All this money and they couldn't find a way to fit a fan in here? _

She had opted out of wearing clothes during the journey again since she found out that the use of the Bogeyman would be required again. Her equipment was safely tucked away in the container on the back of the diving suit. Despite this, sweat still ran down her face in a steady stream.

Ada swiped a hand across her forehead in a futile gesture to clear her face. Despite the handiness of the diving suit, which had proven its worth during her jaunt to Simmons secret sub before the Tall Oaks incident, she would be glad to be free of it when she reached her destination.

Outside the suit's visor, a world of blackness was all she could see. Despite the ominous atmosphere, she continued to maneuver the diving suit forward. After several minutes of hitting nothing, Ada flicked a switch and twin beams of light began to pierce the almost solid darkness –

Revealing a sheer cliff face directly in front of her.

Ada gritted her teeth and yanked on the controls. The suit began to slow, but powerful currents were still pushing her towards the menacing wall of rock. If she couldn't stop in time, the diving suit would crash into it. She pulled harder, putting power into the engine. The rock face continued to grow larger in her view. A proximity alarm began to blare. Although the suit was designed to withstand worse things than a collision with rocks, the fact remained that the jolt from the collision was still enough to kill the occupant inside – something else the designers had failed to address.

"I am so not going to die here," muttered Ada. But with the current still pushing her towards the rock, and the engine failing to slow her down enough to prevent a collision that would break her neck, that statement seemed to becoming more premature by the second.

An idea popped into her head. Grinning fiercely, she said, "Well, if you can't beat them . . ." She pushed the engine to the absolute max and pulled the controls up. The suit began to climb up slowly. Ada snuck a glance at the proximity alarm - 150 feet until collision.

The suit continued to climb slowly. Instead of fighting against the current, Ada hoped to use it instead to give her a little extra speed in climbing up. She would still hit the rock face, but instead of a head-on collision it would be more of a glancing blow.

100 feet until collision.

The suit climbed.

75 feet.

The proximity alarm continued to blare incessantly. "Come on, come on," Ada whispered.

45 feet.

20 feet.

5 feet –

The rock face loomed inches away –

_Crash. _

The diving suit bucked and jolted; Ada inside, held on grimly to dear life. There was a distinct whine of screeching metal. She couldn't see anything outside her visor. A cloud of silt and rocky debris shielded her eyes from anything else.

Ada activated the controls for the legs at the last second and kicked away from the rock wall. After two tense minutes, she finally managed to regain control over the suit. A diagnostic sweep over the suit's systems revealed moderate damage to the outside armor and some internal systems, but nothing she needed at the moment. What alarmed her most was the cracked visor – no water was seeping in, but it was a sober visual to show how close death had been.

Ada relaxed, the adrenaline draining from her system. Aches and bruises from the collision began to make themselves known, but she cherished the feeling – vital proof that she was alive. After a few seconds she opened her eyes and peered outside at the rock face that had tried to claim her life mere moments ago.

There was an opening, an undersea cave of sorts near where she had drifted.

She maneuvered herself in without further trouble, finding a suitable open area where she could safely dock, and finally freed herself of the Bogeyman. The chill breeze flowing through the cavern was an absolute delight to Ada after having been stuck inside the diving suit so long and she stood enjoying it for a few moments.

Her communicator chimed. "Yes," she answered.

"I arrived safely. " She glanced at the diving suit. "The Bogeyman got a little banged up though."

The caller continued to talk. "I understand. And you're sure it's here."

She listened. After a while she quirked a delicate eyebrow. "Is that all the information you have to give me?"

The caller paused for the barest fraction of a second before resuming, but Ada caught it. Her employers prided themselves on their information gathering, and the fact that they were unusually sparse in the information they had on this island did not bode well for Ada. A chill went down Ada's spine that had nothing to do with the breeze inside the cavern.

There was only one organization that could stump her employers – and it had been long disbanded. Although recent events suggested otherwise . . .

The call ended. Ada took out her gear and got dressed. Her equipment was checked and double-checked to make sure there was no damage from the recent collision. Satisfied that they were in fine working order, she began to make her way through the dark cave and into the forbidding island known only to her employers as "Bastion".

**OVER THE ATLANTIC, COORDINATES UNKNOWN **

_Leon S. Kennedy _

"We're crashing!"

Leon jerked awake, alarm burning away the last vestiges of sleep. His hand, reacting on instinct and muscle memory went straight to his sidearm. "What - !"

But the pilot next to him seemed calm. In fact, a little too calm. He also ha d a large wolfish grin plastered all over his face. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

It took all of a second for Leon to realize what happened, and even less for him to become incensed. "Not funny Theo."

Theo affected a wounded look on his face. "Just trying to have a conversation with an old buddy. You're not exactly holding up your end, you know?"

Leon snorted and settled down more comfortably into his seat. Theo smirked and returned his attention to flying the plane.

Theo Randall was an old friend of Leon's from his early days as a government agent. The years following Raccoon City were chaotic and a new breed of agent was needed to counter and investigate these new threats. These agents would be culled from those who survived Raccoon City and other similar events, but there weren't many of them unsurprisingly. So the government decided to train new ones, using the veterans of those incidents as instructors. Theo and Leon had met during such an assignment as co-instructors, where Leon was surprised to learn that Theo was a fellow survivor of Raccoon City and had went on other missions on behalf of the government since then. Theo, it turns out, was actually working as a night security guard when the infection began, not only surviving the ensuing madness but managing to bring a stranded family with him out of the city before it was nuked.

Leon had certainly been impressed when Theo told him the story and he was not alone in that department. The government had snatched up Theo not even a week after the Raccoon City incident and he gladly devoted his days to making sure that there would not be a disaster of this magnitude ever again.

A recent mission, unfortunately, had forced Theo into early retirement when a B.O.W. had mangled his leg. Theo, cheerful and undaunted by this, decided to return to his former passion of flying planes, offering his services to fellow agents who needed to get in and out of hot spots when necessary. He was a valuable asset, despite his handicap, and an even better friend.

"Is she going to be there?"

Leon kept his face composed and continued to look out the plane window at the ocean below. The water below was relatively calm and placid, the sun creating a sheen that made its surface look almost like glass. "I don't know what you mean," he replied.

"Oh, come off it, Leon. I know that this is about Ada."

_Am I that obvious? _

Leon glanced at his friend and became instantly annoyed at the smug grin on his face. "How can you tell?" Leon demanded.

"You've got this look on your face whenever and wherever she's concerned."

"What look?"

"The one that you're wearing right now. It looks kinda like this." Theo scrunched up his face in a gross exaggeration of Leon's, an expression that resembled something halfway between sucking on a lemon and seeing something too bright.

"I'm confused."

Theo nodded. "Exactly. You look confused."

Leon could not argue that. He certainly felt that way, anyway.

"I'm not sure what's been going down between you two, but you've certainly been quiet since you got back from China. Normally, you would've called me up for a drink at the downtown bar and I would listen to you gripe about women. Speaking of which, I thought that you and Helena - ?"

Leon shook his head. "I consider her a good friend. Plus, she's still getting over the loss of her sister."

Theo grunted affirmatively. "Lot of good people died in Tall Oaks. Losing a loved one is something that too many people have had to experience since then. It wasn't her fault."

"Yeah." _Except that it was, in a way_, Leon thought. Watching Helena let her mutated sister fall into that chasm was still a vivid scene in his dreams many nights – and he had simply been an observer to that awful choice. He didn't want to know what it was doing to Helena, but her smile, although a little sad, was a sure sign of recovery.

"So you're not seeing her?" Theo's question sounded a little too casual.

Leon glowered at him. "No, Theo. I'm not seeing her." He turned away. "And neither are you."

"What? How do you know she wouldn't - "

"Because I know you and I know her. She'd shoot you within an hour."

Theo sniffed. "Maybe I'd woo her with my roguish charms."

Leon let loose a long laugh. "You'd be an excellent comedian, Theo," he said afterwards, "if you were your own audience."

Theo opened his mouth to retort –

An explosion rocked the plane. Leon's stomach threatened to leave by way of his throat as the plane began to rapidly lose altitude. "Theo – what . . .?!"

"I got it," he snapped. His hands flew over the instruments, which were not comforting in the least with needles jerking erratically and lights coming up red. "We lost a wing."

Leon looked over his friend's shoulder and gulped at the billowing black smoke that streaked past the cockpit. "What hit us?"

"Don't know, don't care." Theo grappled with the plane's yoke, struggling for control.

Leon grabbed the radio. "Mayday, mayday, can anyone read us? Come in."

The only answering reply was a crackle of static. He tried again when something caught his eye outside the cockpit.

An island had appeared. What had before been nothing more than a smooth patch of ocean, now was obscured by a large island, complete with verdant flora, mountains, streams and – Leon squinted, his sense of alarm growing – buildings.

The island was inhabited.

But more importantly, there was an island. And that meant they could possibly land."Theo!"

"Yeah, I see it," replied Theo through gritted teeth. His hazel eyes were wide with surprise, but otherwise focused. "Don't hail them. Chances are they knew we were coming, anyway."

Leon nodded, his hand tight on the radio. "Nice welcoming present they sent us."

The engine began to sputter. Theo shouted something, but it was lost in the racket of the failing machinery.

Feeling helpless, Leon clicked the radio on again, hoping that someone, anyone could hear them. "Mayday, mayday - "

The radio hissed to life and a familiar voice came on the line. "Leon S. Kennedy. Are you in trouble _again_?"

Leon blinked at the radio, unaware of the bizarre smile forming on his face despite the seriousness of the situation. With a genuine sense of pleasure, he replied, "Of course I am, Ada. Have you ever known me not to be?"

**Author's Note: Look forward to the next chapter soon. Remember to read and review - and spread the word to any other Leon/Ada fans as well. **

**Sincerely, **

**ShiningScribbler**


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hello again! Hope you enjoy, 'cuz this chapter was a real pain to write. I have no idea if what I wrote is actually possible in real life, but this is Resident Evil and a work of fiction, so I thought what the hell. Hopefully I'll get better at the action sequences as the story goes on. Enjoy the ride guys. **

**Chapter 2**

"Just Like Old Times"

**BASTION ISLAND**

_Ada Wong _

"Honestly, I can't think of a time," Ada Wong admitted. Earlier, after the call from her employers, Ada had made her way through the cavern out to what appeared to be a ledge on the side of a mountain without incident. Her communicator had picked up the signal from the plane and she immediately recognized Leon's voice issuing from it. It was from this ledge that she now watched the ailing plane weave back and forth, tendrils of acrid smoke trailing behind it with a knot of tension growing in her gut.

A distant part of her found the crashing plane to be oddly metaphoric for her and Leon's tumultuous relationship. _And here you are again, crashing into my life_.

She shook her head clear of stray thoughts; from where she stood, Leon's situation looked dire. But he'd been through worse straits than this and come out unscathed.

That didn't make it any easier to watch however. A sense of helplessness plagued her, but she filtered it out of her voice before speaking into the communicator again. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you've got a spare plane engine on you, than no," Leon remarked dryly.

Ada opened her mouth to retort when a ball of flame erupted near the plane. It jerked to the side at the last second, avoiding a fiery demise, but the entire side was now black and pockmarked with shrapnel. The vehicle dipped dangerously even lower.

"Leon!"

Her communicator hissed and then his voice burst back onto the line. "I'm here. That was close. We need a place to land. Can you see anything on your end?"

Ada scanned the landscape and narrowed her eyes at a lake not too far from her position. "There's a lake off to the west. Can you make it?"

"No – we've taken too much damage. It's taking everything we have just to keep the plane up in the air right now."

"You have to try. Your only other options are the forest and mountains, which don't take kindly to being used as impromptu landing spots."

Her communicator crackled with static for a long moment. Had she lost connection?

"Okay. Theo's going to make a run for the lake, but it's only going to work if we lose a little weight."

"You have cargo?"

"Sort of," Leon managed. Even over the communicator, she could hear his smile. A cautious mood touched her mind. That tone of voice sounded familiar . . .

It clicked. "Leon. Don't be stupid."

"We're going over a river now. Wish me luck."

The communicator fizzed out; the plane's radio was dead. Ada clenched her teeth and made her way down from the ledge at the fastest speed she could muster, hoping that she would make it in time.

**BASTION ISLAND**

_Leon S. Kennedy _

"Leon. Don't be stupid." Ada sounded worried.

Leon weighed his options, which weren't many, and decided to go ahead anyway. "We're going over a river now. Wish me luck."

The radio sparked in his hand and he let go with a shout. Theo shouted, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Radio went out." Leon eyed the frothy, rushing water below him and noted the jagged rocks jutting out at random points. He didn't like those chances, but with the plane's engine down to its last legs, the best chance for survival was if he lightened the load enough for Theo allowing him to attempt an emergency landing in the lake Ada mentioned.

Theo hadn't liked the plan Leon came up with, but came to the reluctant conclusion that it was the best shot they had. With Leon jumping out, they both had a fighting chance of surviving as opposed to no chance by staying in the plane together. Parachutes would have been nice, but the only pair had been shredded in the initial blast.

"Can you stabilize the plane, Theo?"

Theo grunted, wrestling with the controls. "This _is _stable."

The plane juked wildly, and for once, Leon was glad that he hadn't had anything to eat yet. "Can you make it more stable?"

"Damn it, Leon," Theo swore. "I'm a pilot, not a miracle worker."

"I just need you to get closer to the river!"

"Alright! But no promises, and if we get out of this, you are giving me Helena's phone number you hear?!"

"When we get out of this, I'll introduce you to her myself."

Theo nodded once and began to descend, the plane erratically following his command. The river began to grow larger in the cabin view –

Another explosion rocked the plane. Theo swore loudly. Leon found himself being buffeted by a sudden influx of smoke and air. Gasping, he reached out to steady himself –

Only to find open air. The entire side of his cabin had been sheared away, the blackened edges of a gaping wound the only evidence that something solid had been there. Unbalanced, Leon began to slip through the opening. He dimly heard Theo shouting his name –

Leon fell.

Most people assumed that if you were falling out of a plane, there wasn't much you could do in the way of saving yourself with the exception of divine intervention. Leon S. Kennedy, survivor of Raccoon City and other various, horrible events, was trained otherwise. Angling your body, arms flat at your sides, legs straight could increase your speed. Spreading your limbs, spread eagle style, could slow you down.

Leon did a combination of both, trying to stay on target with the river. The wind whipped at his body; his eyes watered from the barrage of air, but he pushed past that inconvenience – if he didn't hit the river at the right spot then it would all be over. Leon S. Kennedy, squashed by a rock.

Not the way he envisaged himself to go out.

The river grew larger with frightening speed and Leon spread his limbs apart wide as possible. He couldn't tell if he slowed down enough, but he had to try.

There was only one thing Leon was certain of. _This is going to hurt. _

**EDGE OF THE RIVER**

_Ada Wong _

Ada watched Leon fall. Her heart hammered relentlessly against her ribs as she sprinted towards the river. Skidding to a stop at the edge, she was relieved at what she saw –the water was rapid, frothy, and not smooth. It meant that when Leon fell into it, he wouldn't smash into it like a ton of bricks – it meant the difference between broken bones and bruises.

Looking back up was another story – Leon was falling too far, too fast. Even if he could slow his descent, which he was by spread eagling himself, it wouldn't be enough. Not nearly enough.

But she knew what would be enough. Newton's First Law of Motion . . .

Ada reached for her grappling gun. The trees here were tall enough, and if she could time it just right –

The black speck that formerly represented Leon was now a full blown figure. Would the grappling gun hold both their weights? Composing herself, she aimed her grappling gun at the tallest branch and pulled the trigger. It hit with a satisfying thunk and she was pulled up, landing deftly on the solid branch.

She aimed for a tree of similar height directly across from her, counted to three and pulled the trigger –

About halfway through her zip line, Leon smacked into her.

It hurt. A lot.

Gritting her teeth, she twisted an arm around him as best she could, the grappling gun struggling with the added weight. The raging river below didn't look nearly inviting as it did before, and she now noted with a thrill of fear the jagged rocks that protruded at random intervals –

They were falling –

With a loud bone shaking smack, the two agents hit the side of a tree. Ada gasped out loud at the pain; Leon tucked and rolled several feet away.

They had made it. Barely.

"Ada," Leon managed, as he struggled to get himself into a sitting position. She ran an eye over him, her anxiety cooling somewhat – there appeared to be no broken bones, but he was holding his shoulder gingerly.

He did the same to her, helping her sit up as well. The two sat side by side against the tree trunk, breathing heavily. The air was cool despite the glare of the sun – a comfort provided by the shade of the large trees populating the forest. It should have been a tranquil scene, an ideal visage of nature if not for one fact that stood out against it; there were no animals. No forest woodland creatures chittering away, no sound s except for the rushing water and their breathing.

Ada noted all this with a casual eye, ignoring the cold sweat breaking on her forehead which had nothing to do with catching Leon. She kept her observations to herself at the moment, though. She trusted Leon to figure it for himself eventually.

"Well, Leon," Ada said dryly after several minutes. "You certainly remember how to show a girl a good time."

"Ah," Leon replied, just as dryly, "Well, I always want to make sure that our encounters are nothing short of memorable." He straightened up, wincing at the aches and bruises that were the result of falling out of an airplane. "I need to find my friend at the lake. You coming?"

Ada shook her head. "You know I can't. I've got my own reason for being here."

Leon shrugged. "So do I. And besides, you're not going anywhere without my help from the look of it."

"I'm fine. No broken bones, thankfully." Ada began to saunter off, giving Leon her customary wave and smirk. "I'll be seeing you around, Leon. It'll be just like old times."

Leon waved cheerfully back and Ada suddenly became suspicious. Why wasn't he fighting harder to get her to stay? In fact if anything it looked like he was stifling a smile –

It clicked. Ada slowly dropped her eyes to the grappling gun in her hand.

It was dented. Presumably by the fall – she pointed the gun at a spot in the ground and squeezed the trigger.

An empty click was her only response.

She looked back at Leon who was grinning widely, her brain a hollow, buzzing sphere. He walked over to her and gently pried the grappling gun from her fingers. Still smiling he said, "Definitely just like old times, Ada."

**BASTION ISLAND, CONTROL CENTER **

_The Observer _

From the hidden cameras placed over the island, the Observer noted the movements of the two agents. They certainly were very brave, along with resourceful. Not many people could survive falling from a plane, especially in spectacular fashion such as that. The third one –the pilot who had pulled off an incredible landing in the middle of Bastion's lake was found unconscious, but still alive. He too had proven himself in the harrowing journey across the island.

Qualities like that were rare, especially in this line of work. He would prove an excellent test subject, once his wounds were tended to.

The Observer turned up the volume on the conversation between the two agents still at large and managed to hear the last line: "Definitely just like old times, Ada."

He froze. _Ada Wong? She's here?_

"Did he just say 'Ada'? As in the Ada Wong?"

The Observer turned to find his colleague, a woman in her mid-thirties, with premature silver hair, dressed in a severe business suit. She had been made aware of the situation since the plane had first appeared on radar and had arrived for an update."I'm quite certain of it, Miranda," he replied.

She was quiet for a moment, then said, "This changes things considerably."

The Observer nodded, returning his eyes to the screen. A beep sounded on his computer screen and he pulled up the file regarding the other agent, who had been identified as Leon S. Kennedy. His presence bore a significant amount of trouble for the work being done on this island.

"Do we need to eliminate them?" Miranda asked, softly.

_And wipe out the woman who is the very reason for this island's existence? Absurd._ But the Observer kept his thoughts for himself.

The Observer watched the two agents on his screen, now moving in unison amongst the trees. They'd find a few surprises there, if he remembered the schedule correctly.

"No," replied the Observer. He steepled his fingers and watched thoughtfully. "We watch for now."

**Author's Note: Dun, dun, duuuuun! Let's all bow our heads in loving memory of Ada's grappling gun - NOT. With that out of the way, we'll see what interesting conversations these two will have finally. As always, remember to Read and Review and spread the word! See you next chapter. **

**Sincerely, **

**ShiningScribbler**


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Holy crap was this a long chapter. Enjoy the ride, and I hope you don't mind Theo Randall. He's going to be important in chapters to come. **

**Chapter 3**

"Close Proximity"

**BASTION ISLAND, THESILENT FOREST (2 hours after plane crash)**

_Leon S. Kennedy _

_ The look on her face is priceless_, thought Leon with no small amount of smugness. He imagined that it was similar to the look he gave whenever Ada pulled one of her disappearing acts. But for appearance sake, Leon put on a somber expression as he ran his hands over the grappling gun, pretending to look for a method to fix it.

Inside though, he was positively gleeful. The grappling gun was near synonymous with Ada Wong, and provided nearly as long a source of frustration and irritation. Leon finally had his way to talk to Ada without her running off – and she knew it, too, judging from the stormy expression on her lovely face.

"Well?", she pressed, impatiently. Ada had her arms crossed and was currently holding an expression of casual indifference, but Leon knew better. When he had pointed out that her beloved equipment was now useless, a small crack had developed in her visage for a spit second before smoothing over into her typical casual demeanor. From then on, she had acted indifferent to the whole situation with her typical Ada flair, leaning against a tree as though without a care in the world.

But Leon had seen it, and he knew what it meant. Ada was nervous, thrown off her guard. In a way though, so was Leon. Now that he actually had Ada right where he wanted her, what should he say? He'd had a speech prepared and everything, but with the woman actually standing before him, his carefully rehearsed delivery seemed pointless.

_Do what you do best, Leon. Improvise. _

"Pretty sure it's wrecked, Ada," he replied.

She rolled her eyes. "So observant, Leon. Can you get it working again?"

"Can't you?" he shot back.

Ada's face tightened somewhat, then relaxed. "Fighting won't get us off this island. I have the tools, yes. Will they help?"

"Let me see them." Ada handed him a small packet of tools and he tinkered with the grappling gun for a few minutes. Working with machines was a private pleasure of Leon, something he enjoyed immensely during his scarce downtime. Repairing, customizing, or just plain poking around in the innards of a finely tuned machine gave Leon a sense of order that was otherwise lacking in his life.

Ada squatted down next to him, helping when she could when navigating her instrument. Finally, Leon finished his work and stood up. He aimed the grappling gun at a spot a few yards away and prepared to pull the trigger. Ada watched expectantly.

He squeezed, gently at first. Nothing happened for a few seconds, then the cable shot out – only to fall short of its intended target by a few feet. It slacked in midair and fell to the ground with an underwhelming thunk. Even more disheartening was the sluggish rate it retracted back into the barrel.

He turned to Ada and shook his head. "Sorry," was all he could offer.

She regarded the weapon with a slightly mournful air before shrugging her shoulders. "Thanks anyway," she said, her hand held out for the return of her weapon.

Leon arched an eyebrow before saying, "I think I'll hold on to it."

Ada stared at him. Leon shrugged. "When we get some down time, I'll tinker with it some more. But until then, we stick together."

He could almost imagine the intricate cogs and gears working in Ada's mind. She shortly came to a decision. "It's your party, Leon," she said, pulling out her sidearm.

Leon did the same, drawing strength from the solid steel in his hands. He'd noted during his tinkering how silent the forest was. There were no animals, no usual sounds that indicated typical woodland life in an environment such as this. It gave him the creeps. Leon had no doubt that Ada had already picked up on this, and had confirmed his suspicions when he caught her eyeing their surroundings with deliberate intent.

Ada Wong was nervous and not just because of him, and that made him want to get the hell off this island even faster.

"You remember how to get to the lake?" he asked Ada.

She frowned in concentration and then nodded. He gestured in front of him and said, "Lead the way."

She smiled at him sweetly. "Don't I always?"

Leon scowled.

**BASTION ISLAND, MEDICAL FACILITY (1.5 hours after plane crash)**

_Theo Randall _

Theo was thirsty.

Theo was thirsty and there was a bad taste in his mouth.

Theo was thirsty and there was a bad taste in his mouth and his head hurt along with his spine, and his eyes watered, while his muscles were forming a coalition of pain that threatened to make him scream thus ruining many pretty women's manly image of him. He also found that he couldn't really feel his left fingers, but whether from numbness or the fact that they simply were no longer attached to his body he couldn't tell since the smallest effort to move his neck to see caused slivers of pain to slide up his backside. So Theo stopped moving entirely and just laid there, fantasizing about Helena Harper's smile – the one she'd given him in passing while walking out of Leon's apartment ("We were just talking", Leon said curtly when Theo gave him a knowing look).

_If breathing wasn't so important to survival_, Theo thought, _I'd stop doing that too. Anything to ease this blasted pain. _

Due to his restricted movements he hadn't been able to make out much, but Theo was able to make out one crucial thing from his surroundings: he was in a hospital room, rested comfortably on an oversized bed. Monitors hummed and whirred softly all around him. The lighting was dimmed, probably for his benefit. The smell wasn't of stringent ammonia used typically in most hospitals, but pleasant – rose petals, maybe? The walls were bare save for a few more lights. He was utterly alone.

Yet he was still an agent – and if his body wasn't going to cooperate then he utilized his other great resource; his mind. Any detail he learned or remembered from his time here could prove crucial down the line to his survival and the survival of his friend, Leon.

Theo cast his eyes around the room with new sharper focus, ignoring the constant dull ache of pain that plagued his being, looking for anything – any kind of clue that might signal as to why he was here, or to what purpose this island served.

While doing this, several facts hovered in the back of his mind painting ugly suspicions.

Fact 1: The reason why he and Leon were even in this mess was because of Ada Wong. Ingrid Hunnigan – another lady who proved oddly resistant to Theo's charms – had pinpointed these coordinates as the next known location of the elusive spy who was wanted by several government agencies, even after her name was cleared from the events in China. Leon had been especially quiet as to what went down there, but Theo had guessed, correctly, that Ada had made an appearance. Whatever transpired between them there had finally broken Leon out of his apathy concerning the woman and he was now taking action. As to what that action was to be remained to be seen.

But the actual presence of Ada Wong wasn't what concerned Theo, although it should have. It was how Hunnigan had managed to track her down. Before the trip he had sat Leon down with Hunnigan on the communicator and asked her to explain.

**THEO RANDALL'S RESIDENCE (20 hours before plane crash)**

_Theo Randall_

Theo watched his friend's face as Hunnigan summarized it with her usual efficiency, boiling down the issue into one alarming sentence: "She got sloppy, Leon."

Leon arched an eyebrow. "Ada Wong is not sloppy, Ingrid. If she was seen, then she wanted to be seen."

"I realize that, Leon. But in light of recent events, it doesn't make sense for her to want to be on anyone's radar so soon afterwards. And I only managed to get a hold of this situation by piggybacking off of someone else, Leon, do you know what that means?"

That last admission, Theo noticed, had cost Hunnigan something. She took great pride in her amazing information capabilities, a pride well-earned after having come through for many agents in the field. It was always a harsh dose of reality when you realized that there was someone faster and better than you out in the world.

"No, Ingrid. What does this mean?"

"It means someone is watching Ada Wong's every moment and she is letting it happen. It means . . ." Hunnigan trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

Theo interjected. "It means, Leon, that your gal pal is slipping up. If she's half the spy that you say she is, then there is no reason she should not have been able to catch this surveillance network on her. It means that she's at the end of her rope, if she's getting caught like this. She's had an international bounty since the Eastern Slav incident, right?"

Leon nodded, his expression solemn.

Theo put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She's being hunted. And good as she is, experienced as she is, the kind of people who can set up this amount of surveillance just for one person – if they're the ones looking for her and whatever she's after, it can only end one way."

Leon did something strange then. He smiled.

"Well," he said, that strange smile still plastered on his face, "at least our conversations won't be boring."

**BASTION MEDICAL FACILITY (present)**

_Theo Randall _

He broke out his musings and refocused on the task at hand. Still though, the strength of Leon's conviction in Ada Wong was always startling. Theo secretly envied that deep belief in another and hoped to experience that kind of trust with a woman someday.

Helena Harper's smile came to the forefront of his thoughts again, but he pushed it back reluctantly. First, he needed to get out of here. He had been experimenting with his limbs the past several minutes and was relieved to find that his left fingers were still in working condition, along with the rest of his limbs – bruised, unbelievably so, but functional. He wasn't strapped in, which was even better.

Theo began to do small exercises, testing the current limits of his flexibility (which wasn't much) and then strength. Nothing too strenuous, but enough to get him energized. His thoughts focused again on the facts surrounding his current situation. Stop learning, start dying was an age old axiom that his dad had always grinded into him.

Fact 2: They had been shot down and their communications jammed. This meant that someone on this island didn't want word of it reaching back elsewhere, thus alluding to nefarious workings happening here.

_Nefarious_. Theo suddenly smiled. _Hooray for Word of the Day calendar_.

_Always look for the humor in situations_, Leon had told him once. They even swapped and compared notes on one-liners they had used throughout their careers.

Fact 3: He had been rescued, presumably by the same people who ran this installation. Neither Leon or Ada were here with him, which meant that they were possibly still on the move. Normally the thought would have cheered him, but knowing how B.O.W. scientists ran things in facilities similar to this one, his imagination ran with far more darker scenarios. Perhaps they intended to turn him into a test subject.

Theo shuddered at that last thought. That wouldn't happen, not after what he'd seen in all his years of service. He'd take care of himself if it came to that.

The door hissed open. Theo got a good look at the person standing in the doorway before adding another fact.

Fact 4: There were definitely B.O.W.'s on this island.

A Tyrant stood in the doorway. It was huge, a hulking physique of genetically engineered muscle and bone, wrapped in some sort of black getup. It took two steps forward, oddly graceful. It's face, while retaining a semblance of humanity, was pale and hairless, the eyes glinting blackly at him like two dark gems.

Theo immediately dove off his bed the moment it moved. His options were limited – should he run past it?

Ignoring the sudden resurgence of fresh pain, he grabbed one of the beeping monitors and threw it at the monster. It glanced off the Tyrant's chest, without so much a blink or change in expression. Theo was running even before it hit, his hand reaching for the door –

A cold, monstrous hand grabbed him by the shoulder. He whirled, managing to get in a good punch or two before being flung back on the hospital bed. The wind knocked out of him, his condition still not fully recovered from the plane crash, Theo could only watch as the Tyrant hovered over him.

It spoke, the words mangled in its enormous throat, but it did nothing to diminish the horror of what it said.

"WE MUST FEED."

**BASTION ISLAND, THESILENT FOREST (3 hours after plane crash)**

_Ada Wong_

Ada Wong was annoyed.

She knew this day was long in the making, promised in that last desperate kiss back in Raccoon City. The day when she could no longer run from Leon S. Kennedy. More than once, during the dark hours of many lonely nights, she had found herself mentally preparing for the questions he would inevitably bring with such a final encounter. She considered herself ready for the day when she would find herself in such extended close proximity with him.

Except that now he was here, he wasn't asking any of those questions. Leon was just being quiet, only breaking the silence when there was a low branch to avoid, or a mud hole to hop over. There was no barrage of statements, just an odd, simple acceptance of her presence. It unnerved her – even more so when he caught her looking and just smiled, which annoyed her even more.

Ada could feel the flush of embarrassment still creeping up her face when he had done so. But then again, Leon still had that effect on her after all these years, since those fateful events in Raccoon City almost a lifetime ago, when he was a rookie cop. It was like he could see through her . . .

Maybe that was why she kept running away from him, leaving with only the echo of her name being called following. Because she was afraid of what he saw.

Ada was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the hole she had stepped in until it was halfway up to her knee. Caught unawares, she flapped her arms idiotically for a few full seconds before Leon steadied her. With a loud squelch, she freed her boot from the hole, her nose wrinkling with disgust at the mess.

"You really must be out of it," Leon observed.

Ada glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I was pointing out that hole for a good half minute and you just kept going." Ada looked away, embarrassed again. "Something on your mind?"

_Wouldn't you like to know_, she thought darkly. "Nothing worthy of the front page," she replied.

"Mistakes like that aren't your usual forte, Ada. You're better than that."

"It was one misstep. Don't get all chivalrous over me, Kennedy. I'm not that kind of girl."

Leon shook his head. "One misstep, sure, but out of how many?"

Ada continued forward without answering. She did not want to hear about her recent mistakes, especially from him. She knew that she hadn't been on top of her game lately, but once this assignment was over, none of it would matter.

She heard rustling behind her. "When I want your advice, Leon, I'll ask for it," she said, not turning around.

"Ada!" Ada frowned. Leon's voice, but it wasn't coming from behind her –

She ducked, just in the nick of time, as a huge claw whipped into the air where her head had been mere seconds before. Tucking herself into a dive, she rolled forward, as gunshots erupted into the former silent forest.

Ada got to her feet, sidearm drawn, and faced the monstrosity that had tried to cut her down. Definitely reptilian, all teeth and claws, balanced on two small but powerful legs. It's enormous arms almost dragged the ground as it moved towards her at a rapid pace.

She cocked her head to the side. "Guess that explains why there's no forest wildlife."

Another bullet clipped the side of its squat head, putting it down before she could get a shot off. Leon appeared at her side, the barrel of his wing shooter smoking slightly. He grabbed her arm and asked, "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Kennedy." Her skin was warm where he touched, pleasantly so – which further annoyed her.

"Then explain the scratches on your side."

She frowned – then winced, as her previously unknown injuries made themselves known. Ada pulled up her shirt, noting the three long rips, and the three identical scratches beneath them. After some quick probing, she was relieved to discover that they were not deep. But the bleed trickling from them was a sobering sight.

She stared at the scratches. _Those shouldn't be there. Maybe Leon's right to be worried. Too many mistakes Ada, you need to get yourself together if you're going to get this done. _

Leon said, "We'll talk about this later. Until then, we need to move. Somehow I get the sense that this thing doesn't travel alone."

Ada gently removed his hand from her arm and bent to study the fallen B.O.W. "What gives you that idea? It might just be a loner."

"Not everything operates like you do, Ada."

She bit down an angry retort that immediately rose at that response. A part of her was shocked at how deep those words had gotten under her skin. Like Leon said, there will be time to discuss everything later.

An eerie cacophony of wailing screams filled the forest air, raising the hairs on Ada's neck. Leon snapped, "We need to go. Now."

Something caught her eye – a symbol was imprinted on the B.O.W.'s scales, just right over its shoulders.

She took out her communicator and snapped a photo of it. Nodding at Leon, the two of them set off further into the forest at a steady sprint. After a few minutes of running, Leon spotted what appeared to be a cabin up a nearby hill. They changed courses, the increasing volume of rustling and wailing behind them providing more than enough motivation to keep sprinting.

The last few hundred yards they were ambushed.

Five of the scaly B.O.W.'s pounced from the surrounding forest, moving to surround the two agents. Leon spun around onto one knee and with a steady hand fired twice into the closest B.O.W.

It jerked backwards a full foot before landing on its back. "Ada!" he shouted.

"I got it," she replied. Calmly, she twisted around and fired her own sidearm – a handy machine pistol she'd come to like after China – in a full spray at two more coming from her side. A cloud of dust erupted from where the bullets hit the dirt, but the others found their mark. The two B.O.W.s howled with pain and went down.

That left two remaining, something the two experienced agents could certainly handle.

Instead of pursuing though, the last two stopped several yards away, eyeing their quarry. Leon and Ada aimed their weapons squarely at them, fingers ready to squeeze if they so much as twitched.

After an intense stare down for thirty seconds, they backed off. A sense of astonishment filtered briefly into Ada's emotions before she shook it off. She could have sworn that for just a second, one of the B.O.W.'s had bowed its head at them, almost as if in acknowledgement of their skills.

Then they did something even more strange. They gathered their fallen comrades' bodies and dragged them off into the forest. After some more rustling and wailing noises, eventually the forest became silent once more.

When it did, Ada lowered her weapon, noticing her trembling hands. The aftershock of all that adrenaline was hitting her hard. It took significant effort not to sway on her feet.

Keeping their eyes on the forest, they backed up into the cabin and barred the door. It was to their surprise, fully furnished. Leon declared that they would stay here for the night, taking shifts watching for any more B.O.W. attacks with Leon taking the first watch. Ada glared at him, but without any strength, secretly grateful for the opportunity for some rest.

Before she slipped off, Ada remembered what she had seen on the first B.O.W. corpse. "Leon," she mumbled, exhaustion threatening to take her before she even finished her thought, "you need to see this." He came over to her side and received her communicator.

His face clouded for a second, then grew grim with the photo on its screen. "Is this what I think it is?"

Ada nodded. She wished that Leon had gotten a fire going in the fireplace, but that would have advertised their position for miles around with the smoke. They had found some covers and blankets, and piled them on each other, but the cabin still remained chilly at best.

"And here I was thinking that we left this party years ago," Leon sighed. "Thanks Ada."

Ada smiled briefly before slipping into dreamless sleep. "That's new," she said.

"What is?"

"Thanking me." She closed her eyes, which seemed leaden with their weight. "Good night, Leon. Wake me before the party starts up again. Don't want to miss out on all the fun dancing to be had."

**BASTION ISLAND, THE LOG CABIN (7 hours after plane crash) **

_Leon S. Kennedy _

Leon watched her sleep. He fully intended to let her get the full night that she so obviously needed. That last fight, brief as it was, had taken something out of her.

He was worried. Ada was not herself. But chasing after her all these years had proven one thing to him and that was the only way she would open up to him would be on her own terms. Only then, would she be ready to hear what he had to say, when she was willing to hear it.

Maybe. But until then, he would do whatever he could to keep her safe.

However he could. Whatever the cost.

But as usual, things with Ada weren't that easy. He studied the photo on her communicator, a feeling of dread expanding inside his chest that hadn't been felt since Raccoon City all those years ago. Only one symbol could have that power on him. It had been changed, sure – slightly updated, and with a new gray and blue color scheme, but recognizable for what it stood for, nonetheless.

_Neo-Umbrella. _Leon stared at the symbol, his memory playing bad clips from his past, and then looked outside at the rising night. Matters had become deathly serious, and Theo was still missing. _Just another day at the office_, he thought. _After this, I'm going to take a real vacation. _

He glanced at the sleeping Ada. "And I'm taking you with me," he said, softly.

Leon Kennedy settled down into the old wooden chair and began his long watch, inside burning with the desire to keep Ada safe.

However he could. Whatever the cost.

**Author's Note: Close call, but they're not out of the woods yet (snicker, snicker). No rest for the weary I'm afraid. Or the wicked. Next chapter title will be "The Devil You Know". Remember to read and review and spread the word! **

**Sincerely, **

**ShiningScribbler**


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait guys. I've been really busy the past couple of days with moving and stuff. But now things have settled down somewhat and I'm now back on track with writing. Enjoy the ride. **

**Chapter 4 **

"The Devil You Know"

**BASTION MEDICAL FACILITY **

_Theo Randall _

"WE MUST FEED."

"Try it, tiny," Theo spat. "If I'm going down that oversized gullet of yours, then expect a fight for every inch!"

It sounded good to Theo anyway, if not something witty and brief to put on his tombstone. _Theo Randall's heroic last stand_, he thought bitterly. _Guess I'll never get a chance to see Helena's beautiful smile again. _

A massive hand reached for his face, and Theo braced for the end.

The door hissed open revealing a slender figure rushing inside. "No, wait," a voice said, revealing the figure to be a woman in nurse scrubs. She rushed forwards.

"Miss! You need to get out of here now!" Theo shouted, waving his arm at her.

She either missed his statement or ignored it completely because her next move was to slap the Tyrant on the back. Theo went wide-eyed with disbelief as she said, in a voice usually associated with mothers scolding their young, "Arty, stop it! You're scaring the patient."

The Tyrant froze, it's massive hand inches away from Theo's face. Then – unbelievably – it withdrew the hand and turned towards her, head cocked at an inquisitive angle. Theo let out a ragged breath of relief that he hadn't realize he was holding and watched the scene with mounting anxiety. This nurse – Tina, her nametag read – was standing up to the Tyrant, her head barely at level with the thing's waist, arms crossed with a stern expression on her face. Getting a better look now that his view wasn't obstructed by the massive hulk of the monster, Theo could see that his savior looked young enough to still be in college.

"Um," said Theo.

Tina looked around the Tyrant, presenting an icy glare at him as well. He flinched. "Hush you," she said. "You'll have your turn next."

She returned her attention to the Tyrant and jabbed at him. "What have we said about scaring the patients Arty? You need to have better bedside manners than that if you're going to work in the medical facility. Another outburst like this and Miranda will have you sent to waste disposal! You don't want that, do you?"

"Arty" the Tyrant, its head still cocked, rumbled, "No good?"

Tina shook her head. "No good, Arty. But you can do better, I know you can. Remember to use your words – all of them this time, okay?"

"Okay," said Arty. The Tyrant turned to look at Theo once again, who shrank from its gaze.

Sweat began to trickle down Theo's back. "Look lady, I don't think you know what that thing is."

"It's 'Nurse' Tina to you mister. And you didn't have to act the way you did to Arty. He's just nervous is all."

"Nervous." Theo licked his lips, eyeing the Tyrant warily. He had heard stories, seen the graphic proof of what these beings were capable of, although had managed to avoid meeting one head-on in all his adventures. Nothing was making sense here from what he'd gathered about the monstrosities. This one was not only docile, but somehow sentient, obeying the orders from the diminutive nurse Tina without any of the aggression that the rest of his types seemed to display. He'd heard villagers in faraway countries refer to these beings as devils once. But not in this case.

_Definitely not the devil you know_, Theo thought.

_What the hell is going on here? _

"Go on, Arty," Tina encouraged. "Finish what you were going to say."

"We must feed." The Tyrant struggled on the last word, then said, "You."

Nurse Tina clapped her hands, a bright smile spreading on her face. "Good job, Arty! You did it."

Theo felt a cautious smile coming to his own face, a bizarre reaction to the equally bizarre events occurring in the room. It was quickly dampened by the look on the Tyrant's face – a menacing grimace that seemed to promise swift violence.

Tina noted this and explained. "He's trying to smile. We're still working on that."

"Yeah," said Theo, his voice sounding weak. "I can see that."

_It was_, Theo reflected after having been fed by "Arty" and given a check up by Nurse Tina, _a really strange day._ He didn't know what to make of this new information, but he filed it away for further thought once he reunited with Leon. During the check up he had managed to also glean some new tidbits of information from Nurse Tina about the island - codenamed "Bastion" by her superiors. She was surprisingly forthright with her information, which surprised and alarmed Theo, implying that no one expected to leave the island with that knowledge. Apart from the name of the island though, Nurse Tina seemed largely in the dark about the rest of the departments apart from the one she worked in. She knew nothing about the Tyrants themselves outside of their names and the roles they played, which seemed largely subservient on this island. The logo on her scrubs uniform provided another clue, one that caused dread to balloon in Theo's chest: Umbrella.

Specifically, Neo-Umbrella. He'd hear rumors about their resurgence, but the info on that had been classified – not even Theo with all his friends and connections from his days in the field could answer as to the who behind such an event. Only Leon seemed to hold the pieces to that particular mystery but only shook his head when Theo had asked with only a cryptic statement as reply: "It's complicated."

After he finished eating, Nurse Tina said, "You seem to be better now. Are you ready?"

Theo instantly tensed. Were they going to experiment on him now? "Ready for what?" he asked, keeping his face composed.

"For the tour of course. You've been asking so many questions, I might as well show you around."

**BASTION ISLAND, THE LOG CABIN (Early morning) **

_Ada Wong _

She had been tricked.

It was all Leon's doing, of course. Instead of waking her after two hours to take her turn at watch, Leon had let her sleep all night in a presumably misplaced fit of gallantry. Ada wanted to feel annoyed, but the feeling of being well-rested, something that she had elected to forego in the past weeks was too damn nice. For far too long had Ada been running on fumes and the chance to recharge would enable her to stop embarrassing herself in front of Leon.

She looked at him now, fast asleep in his chair by the window. In the pre-dawn light, she could see how the past fifteen years had hardened his visage, but at the same time the rookie cop from Raccoon City was still present in his face. Ada however was hardly one to throw stones since they had both been so young then, barely escaping with their lives. Compared to how she was now, the Ada of that period was just as inexperienced as Leon.

How arrogant she'd been to dismiss him at the time. Even then something sharp had gleamed in those eyes of his, but she had attributed it to his youthfulness. The rookie cop who took a bullet for her and she in turn almost gave her life for his; a bond had been forged that night, hammered into existence by the desperate battle to survive, one that stayed between them to this day. It was the one constant in a life that was filled with anything but.

Ada stood over Leon, tracing the contours of his face with her eyes. With a tentative hand she brushed a stray lock of hair from his sleeping face. That fateful meeting almost seemed like a lifetime ago . . .

"Why are you here Leon?" she asked softly to his sleeping form. He shifted slightly in his chair and then mumbled, "To ask you."

Ada arched a delicate eyebrow. "Ask me what?"

Leon mumbled something unintelligible and then became silent. Ada stared at him some more, her mind churning with her own questions. She pushed them into the back of her mind – first, she had to survive this mission.

But she could have a little fun in the meantime.

Ada leaned in close to Leon's face, smirking. _So cute_, she couldn't resist thinking.

With a deft hand, she flicked his nose. Hard.

His reaction was golden. With a loud grunt, Leon awoke and fell backward in his chair. He flapped his arms wildly for a few seconds, teetering back and forth on the back legs until gravity finally pulled him down into a tangled heap of blankets and limbs.

Ada let out an explosive laugh. Leon, now fully awake, grumbled, "Having fun this morning are we?"

His expression set off Ada again, now grabbing her midsection with the force of her laughter. It felt too damn good to laugh this hard, especially since it had been years since she had expressed anything close to this level of emotion. She normally wouldn't have let herself loose like this, but it seemed so pointless now that everything she had been working towards these past fifteen years would come to a close.

She found herself wondering – how many more laughs would she experience until the end?

_Leon S. Kennedy _

Leon loved her laugh; it was rich, full-bodied, and left Ada's eyes sparkling with good-natured mischief. It sounded sappy, something that he normally would have scoffed at if he heard it from someone else, but he honestly wished that he could bottle the sound of her laughter. He wanted to get drunk on it.

_I could get used to this_, he thought.

But like any intoxicant, it numbed the senses. This was why Leon didn't notice the ambush until the B.O.W.'s had broken down the front door. Three of the reptilians burst through the opening, their silhouettes a scaly blur as they leapt at Leon, still caught off guard in his chair. His hand was already gripped around his trusty wing shooter, honed by years of experience and enhanced by muscle memory, but the reptilians were gifted with two things: superior speed, and more importantly, they had surprise on their side. Leon cursed inwardly, knowing that he wouldn't draw his weapon in time –

"Leon!"

At the sound of his name, Leon rolled forward, narrowly avoiding the powerful outstretched arms of one reptilian. Ada calmly clicked the safety off her machine pistol and let loose three bursts.

The three reptilians collapsed instantly. Leon didn't wait to see if they were playing possum; two more scaly B.O.W.s leapt through the cabin windows, surprising Ada. He leapt forward only to have his way blocked by another reptilian that burst forth from the shattered window. It leapt at him – he reached for his wing shooter –

The B.O.W. feinted to the left.

Leon lashed out with his survival knife. He caught it on the chest, a long, but shallow cut. It roared, more in anger than pain, and swung one its powerful arms at him. Leon ducked underneath it, only to be hit by the other arm. The force of the blow pushed him back into the wall. He slid down it seconds later to avoid another blow, but found that he could do no more. The earlier hit had left him breathless, and he couldn't focus.

The reptilian closed on him, preparing for a finishing blow. Behind the B.O.W., Leon could make out a blur of limbs, but nothing else. Whether Ada was still alive or not he was unable to tell, and the thought sliced through him like ragged steel.

The B.O.W. knelt before him and brought its face close.

Then, to Leon's amazement, it spoke. "Friend," it rumbled.

_I must have knocked my head_, he thought. _Because it sounded like that thing just talked to me. _

It pointed a single clawed finger at his chest and poked gently. "Friend," it repeated. He looked into its eyes and registered some unknown emotion – desperation? – smoldering in its yellow depths.

Then, just to confuse Leon even more, it spat on him. The thick goo splattered over his face. "Understand," the B.O.W. said.

Whatever was in the spit, it began to take effect immediately. Leon, imagining a brutal, bloody end at the hands of this monster, began to feel fear crawling in the pit of his stomach at the other end it had planned for him.

He was now infected.

_Ada Wong _

Ada was not so proud as to not consider advice. Despite her illustrious reputation, she had found herself humbled by others who had proven their skills superior to hers; rival agents, mad scientists, Wesker. She had learned the lessons they had given, and learned them well. There was a reason why they were all dead, or worse, and she, Ada Wong, was still alive to fight another day.

One such teacher she had was a certain former Raccoon City rookie police officer who had surprised her with the ferocity and speed of his attack during a close-quarters fight she decided to pick with him. During the Las Plagas incident with Saddler and his little cult, Ada had made the conscious choice to help Leon once again, against Wesker's orders to eliminate him. But she had a reputation of mystique to keep with Leon's image of her, and she had entered the encounter with the intent to dazzle him with the usual cryptic way she had with him.

That was a mistake. Leon proved that he had come a long way from being simply a rookie police officer. Ada gauged that if he had been serious in his intent to harm, she would have lost her life right there. The humiliation she felt still rankled slightly to this day; Ada had brought a gun to a knife fight and lost.

_Next time bring a knife. Better for close quarter combat. _

Ada learned her lesson well. So when the two reptilians burst through the cabin window mere inches away from her face, she didn't even bother to bring up her machine pistol to fire. She dropped the weapon and drew her own survival knife – a gift from Leon, actually, during one of their rare encounters outside of a mission – raising it to guard position.

It proved to be a futile gesture. The two reptilians were not focused on her, but rather on each other. The wailing noises raised her inner danger sense, kept her alert, but the two continued to scratch and claw at each other with little regard to her.

It made no sense to Ada – B.O.W.'s always had a pack mentality if they worked in groups. The individuals tended to focus solely on fulfilling their orders regardless of what they got in the way: Tyrants, Nemesis, and most recently the Ustanak had all fit this latter category. No B.O.W. had ever showed a scrap of individuality.

Looking closer at the two fighting reptilians, Ada realized that the two reptilians were not so cookie-cutter like the rest of their kind. They fought very differently, with one being overly aggressive, the other focusing more on speed and grace. Their scales as well were colored differently

It was thanks to this intense focus that Ada managed to sense the sudden movement from behind her. She twisted on her foot and hook kicked at the B.O.W. that had snuck up behind her. Her heel connected solidly with the side of its head with satisfying force, forcing the reptilian sideways into the wall.

It was dazed, but not out. The B.O.W. refocused on her and, to Ada's shock, it snarled at her, "Traitor."

Ada shifted the grip on her knife, ears still open to the two scuffling reptilians behind her. "Sorry," she said. "I don't think we've met before."

The B.O.W. pointed a clawed finger at her, struggling with the words. "You . . . did . . . this. To. . . us."

A flicker of bewilderment wormed its way through her mind despite the severity of the situation. "You'll have to do your fact checking again. This is the first time I've been on this island."

The reptilian slammed its hand into the wall. "MORE LIES."

It swung at her. Ada ducked and sliced along its ribcage with her knife. A wailing sound filled with pain was her reward. She twisted around, knife raised again into ready position –

She noticed Leon slumped against the back wall. His eyes were closed, a B.O.W. hovering over him, teeth bared.

"No!" Ada didn't even register the fact that the word had burst forth from her, but she didn't care. She pushed past the reptilians, determination surging through her every step. One of the reptilians, cut from fighting with its brethren, leapt to block her –

She cut him down with a savage cut across its throat. Arterial spray spattered over her, but she pushed down the B.O.W. and continued moving –

Something pinned her down from behind. The B.O.W. she had been fighting earlier now held her down with its powerful arms, hissing at her. Its fetid breath washed over the back of her neck. Yet still she reached for Leon, who was not responding to her increasingly desperate calls.

"You. . . will understand."

And it spat on her. Whatever was in the spit worked instantly; darkness swam into her vision, her last sight a strange one – a silver-haired lady in a business suit walking in front of Leon. The B.O.W.'s were clearly afraid of her, shrinking before her and slinking out the windows.

Ada thought there was something familiar about her.

Then she didn't think of anything at all.

**BASTION ISLAND, THE PIT **

_Miranda _

Miranda faced the two newly acquired prisoners. After their ambush at the log cabin, she had her team immediately take them to the Pit. Remarkably the two had survived unharmed, without any scratches, gouges, tears, or notable loss of limbs. It was certainly a testament to the unrivaled skills that were attributed to these two. They were dangerous company indeed .

She gazed softly at Leon Kennedy's face before turning to Ada Wong.

Her fingers automatically curled into fists. How she longed to be rid of this woman. Ada Wong, the woman who was the bane of her existence.

And the sole reason for it.

But it wasn't the right time. Miranda took a few deep breaths, relaxing her fingers. Blood dripped from the cuts she had made into her palms, but she paid them no mind. They would heal in several minutes.

A beep from the intercom notified that she was being watched.

"What do you think?" she asked the empty room.

The Observer spoke, as always, from afar. "Impressive so far. They survived the initial onslaught. Their help will be much appreciated in liberating us from the island."

Miranda snorted. "Neither of them will be particularly keen on helping Neo-Umbrella."

"I agree, which is why we are doing things my way."

"They are both infected. We won't have much time before they turn."

"Consider it more motivation for them to work at their very best," the Observer said. "Also, a chance to observe two unique specimens. We can never have too much information. They should make excellent subjects."

"What of the one we recovered earlier?"

"I'm having Tina take care of him."

Miranda didn't show it, but she winced inwardly. Tina could be an absolute monster if she was in the wrong mood . . .

"They should be waking up soon. Time for you to return, Miranda."

Miranda nodded. The intercom clicked once and she was alone once again. Glancing around at the hellish environment, nicknamed "The Pit" by employees, she had no doubt that the two of them would find a way to escape.

The question is at what cost.

**BASTION ISLAND, CONTROL CENTER **

_The Observer _

He sat back into the chair. All around him, monitors flickered giving him a purview of everywhere on the island.

He was losing people. Three more of his employees had been taken in the night, despite all the increased security measures, bringing up the total to twenty. Every name was burned into his memory, and he could not remember the last time he had gotten decent night's rest since. With the arrival of Ada Wong and Leon Kennedy, perhaps he could finally find some answers.

He typed into the central console and brought up an image of Miranda who was now making her way out of the Pit with her team. The Observer had caught the look she had given Ada Wong.

He had seen the blood.

"My mysterious Miranda," he muttered to himself. "What are you up to?"

Several pieces were falling into place. But not enough – there was a dangerous game being played on this island, and he intended to see it through to the end, only when he knew what cards the other side was holding.

Until then – he would live up to his title, and simply observe.

The time would come however to act – and when it did, he would mete out the appropriate justice to however be taking his employees. The Observer allowed himself a cold smile, watching Miranda on the screen. Watching her very closely.

**Author's Note: Whew this was another long chapter. As you can see, I'm expanding my characters - not just Leon and Ada. The Observer and Miranda will also be players in this dangerous game, along with Theo. But don't worry, Ada and Leon are very much at the center and will continue to be. See you all on the next chapter, titled "One Way Out". **

**Sincerely, **

**ShiningScribbler**


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: And here we go again. Enjoy the ride. **

**Chapter 5**

"One Way Out"

**BASTION ISLAND, THE PIT **

_Leon S. Kennedy _

The first thing he noticed was the smell.

It wasn't necessarily a bad scent; Leon had certainly smelled worse. The sickly, almost sweet scent of rotting corpses still plagued him in his waking moments sometimes; the raw, meaty aroma that some B.O.W.'s exuded before attacking; the too clean, antiseptic smell of hospital rooms – all of these were definitely top of the list in what he considered to be some of the more worse scents he had experienced during his long career.

No, compared to those hellish scents, this one was downright tame in comparison. But there certainly was a lot of it, whatever it was. It didn't smell bad, but it smelled a lot.

_Not sure if that's a good or bad thing. _

Craning his stiff neck up, Leon inspected his surroundings. Since awakening, Leon had discovered several facts about his current situation:

First, that he was alive, which was always a plus. The ambush in the log cabin had been planned and had almost finished him off, along with Ada. Many of the newer recruits in DSO often looked at him with unthinking awe at his list of accomplishments during his almost legendary career. Leon felt uncomfortable about being relegated to something near legendary status, and was determined not to let such praise get to his head. The moment a survivor becomes overconfident of their abilities, they're dead. He'd gone against people and beings far stronger, faster, and more agile than him and he'd survived them all, simply because he had used what he had better than they did.

Experiences such as the one in the log cabin were a sober reminder that he was secretly glad for, another example that he was not infallible as others might believe. To face truth, the only reason he and Ada were alive was because, for whatever reason, the reptilians had not wanted them dead. Grimacing at that revelation he thought, _Not sure if that's a good or bad thing either. Sure as hell doesn't add up. _

Every B.O.W. he'd encountered in the past fifteen years had definitely shown no qualms about their desire to kill anything and everything in their path. The ones currently inhabiting here were different, that was a certainty.

Soft breathing came from behind him, brining another matter to light – he and Ada were still together. Whoever had brought them here clearly had no idea of the capabilities they had working together.

Or maybe they did and wanted a further demonstration of their skills. If this was true, then they picked quite the place for such a test; all in all, it was probably the most ridiculously ominous place that Leon had seen in a while.

He and Ada were tied in the center of a huge cavern that should have been in pitch darkness was it not for the few floodlights spaced evenly around piercing through. From what Leon could make out in the dim lighting, the ceiling rose above them menacingly, stalactites and stalagmites clustered together forming, if looked at the right angle, what appeared to be a gaping mouth. All around, water dripped providing a steady background of noise, save for the occasional scratch of what Leon hoped were falling rocks and not that of something sharpening its claws in the shadows beyond. Scattered equipment lay in haphazard heaps, randomly and brutally strewn apart in various places within the cavern.

A shadow flitted across the ceiling. Leon snapped his eyes upward and caught a glimpse, his mouth suddenly devoid of moisture. He needed to start moving now.

But he needed Ada awake. If they were going to get out of his, he needed her cooperation.

A slight shift against his back told him that she was beginning to regain consciousness. Injecting some modicum of calm into his voice he said, "Welcome back to the party."

Ada let out a groan. "I think that last dance took a little something out of me."

"Our dance partners weren't exactly gentle," Leon agreed.

"Guess I need to choose more wisely next time then," Ada replied dryly. "How much trouble are we in?"

Leon caught several more shadows moving among the rocks, barely noting them through the corner of his eye. "Tied up pretty tightly, no weapons, and we're definitely not alone in here."

"Wherever here is," said Ada.

"Well, it's definitely not Hawaii that's for sure." Leon started test the bonds of the rope circling him and Ada. To his surprise, they were actually loose.

"Ada - "

"I feel it," she interjected. "Rope's loose. Amateurs." She began to carefully work herself free. Leon followed suit.

"Surprised you didn't notice it earlier," Ada teased. "Age catching up to you Leon?"

Leon scowled. "And here I was just catching you napping on the job again."

After several more minutes, they were finally freed. They stood up slowly, backs together, each keeping their eyes on separate sides of the caves, making sure that nothing was preparing to leap out. Satisfied that neither of them were about to be ambushed again, Leon turned to Ada. "Clear on my end. Yours?"

She turned to him. "Same."

Their eyes met and something happened.

Leon fell to his knees – he had no other way to describe it, but in that moment, he felt Ada's mind wrap in and around his. He saw things, felt things, knew things that he shouldn't have –

An orphanage was burning somewhere far away, but that wasn't possible, he was here in the cave with Ada here and now –

_GET OUT. _

The thought wasn't his, yet it crystallized so clearly like a firework on the Fourth of July, and it was as though a heavy door shut on him, cutting off that memory of the burning orphanage, but he could still feel the incredible heat on his face, still taste the falling ash fluttering about on a dry wind.

Somewhere, in the recesses of his mind that was still somehow keeping note of everything, he registered the faint echoes of a scream piercing the air, and he knew that Ada was experiencing the same sensation. It was like someone had opened his skull and poured liquid nitrogen into it.

Leon gripped the sides of his head, desperately trying to mentally sort out which were his thoughts and which were Ada's –

And then it stopped. The only way to describe it was that a huge barrier had been erected, suddenly and effectively ending the experience. Leon staggered backwards and fell onto his back, an icy sweat covering his body and soaking through his shirt. He became aware of his hands – not shaking, but twitching erratically, as though they couldn't decide what position to hold.

Ada was on her knees, head bowed. Leon couldn't make her face in the gloom, but he knew that she was feeling the same as he was right now. He tried to speak, tried to assure her in some small, but meaningful way, but his throat had closed up. Leon felt guilt – the experience had felt like a violation, a deeply personal intrusion into something that he wasn't supposed to see.

He felt horrible.

Whatever had happened, whatever Ada did to stop it was only a temporary measure. Leon could still feel her, but instead of the sensation being a tsunami eclipsing all in its path, it was the gentle lapping of a wave at shore.

What he had felt – it had scared him. He always knew that Ada Wong was an enigma wrapped in a mystery. She had her secrets; Leon had understood that since the moment he asked for her name back in Raccoon City all those years ago. Yet he always believed that he knew Ada Wong – if not the specifics, but the general, core essence of who she truly was, glimpsed through all those life-and-death encounters: fiercely independent, emotionally tough, and whip smart as well.

But not even Ada herself knew just how mysterious she was - and it ripped at her being to acknowledge that. What Leon had felt absolutely undermined the image she constantly cultivated for herself, as a cool, confident, skillful female spy whose talents and experiences made her unparalleled in the field.

Gazing at her from where he lay, Leon could only think.

_What are you? _

_A__da Wong _

Ada Wong was no stranger to fear. In her line of work, it was common territory to tread considering the monsters she faced on an almost daily basis. She considered it healthy to have a measured dose of fear in all situations that faced her; where others would write it off as a negative emotion, one that had to be ignored in order to succeed. This was wrong; it was an emotion to be used and held on to, if only at arm's length. Fear kept an agent sharp, focused, and able to respond quickly to threats.

Fear kept you alive. But only if you don't allow it to consume you.

Over the years, Ada had become accustomed to certain types of fear – fear of death, for example, was an abstract, almost existential kind of fear. It was something that every human faced on some level. She had seen fellow agents, mad scientists, innocent civilians be ripped apart by teeth or bullets during her long career. Experiencing that kind of wanton brutality and evil constantly hadn't exactly made her cynical, but had served to reinforce Ada's view of the world as an unpredictable place that was anything but permanent. Any good agent worth their weight in salt understood the perils that came with their jobs.

No, it was the more personal fears that did a person in. And even the great Ada Wong had her own demons. She valued her freedom above anything else, but lately she'd been wondering what exactly her freedom was worth. Was it even freedom she valued? Or privacy from other people, was that what she truly desired? Perhaps freedom from other people was the more correct term.

And now here she was, with the one man she didn't want to know about all this, her recent doubts and mistakes, completely open and vulnerable. She was weak.

"What did you see?" Her voice was no more than a rasp, impossibly old and weary.

_More like what did I see? _

In one heart-rending moment, Leon S. Kennedy had been like an open book to her and she saw his most private sorrows, his highest joys –

And his fears.

Years of surviving the impossible had hardened Leon against the fear of death, as it had done to Ada. But it had born a new fear as a result – the fear of surviving alone, living long after everyone you knew and loved had gone.

Leon didn't answer for a few seconds. "Ada," he began.

"On second thought, I don't want to know," Ada cut in. Her heart had skipped a few beats but she immediately ordered it back to work. Now was not the time to be soft-hearted. She clenched her fists and rose into a steady stance. "We need to get moving."

Concern, not hers, washed through her mind from Leon's direction. "Stop that," she snapped.

Leon stood up and arched an eyebrow. "Stop what?"

She threw up her hands in frustration. "Stop being in my head."

He grimaced and shook his head. "I can't. I don't know what happened, Ada, but it had to have come from those B.O.W.'s we faced in the log cabin."

Ada considered his words, beating down the anger she felt at his intrusion – unconscious or not."The spit – one of them spit on me. You think there was something in the saliva?"

Leon nodded. "We might be infected."

"So what? Suddenly we're psychic and can read each other's minds?"

"Well," Leon said cheerfully, "hopefully that's the only side-effect."

Ada turned a high-voltage glare on him. "Someone's cheerful about our impending demise."

She knew he was joking for more her benefit than his – or at least that's what he thought he was doing. An odd sensation touched her mind which let her see through his bluff and immediately she regretted her misdirected anger at him. Years before Leon had been infected with the Las Plagas at Saddler's behest and almost lost himself to the infection.

Dying was one thing – but dying and becoming a B.O.W. was a fate infinitely worse.

Steely resolve filled Ada's being. She had saved Leon then, and certainly she had no intention of letting him fall now. The world still needed Leon S. Kennedy. After all, he had come to this island for her, so she owed it to him –

Ada's eyes widened as the revelation hit her. A sense of chagrin filled her mind, emanating from Leon's thoughts. She shoved him in the shoulder, shocked. "You're here for me?"

Rubbing his shoulder gingerly, Leon replied, "Well, yeah."

She stalked past him, fuming. "Please tell me this wasn't out of some misplaced sense of chivalry, Kennedy. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

"It's not an officially sanctioned mission, if that's what you're getting at. Technically, I'm supposed to be on vacation."

Still not looking at him, Ada contemplated a gap in a wall several feet in front of her. A way out, maybe? It gave her a distraction to ignore the guilt welling up inside her; Leon S. Kennedy, who probably had a million better things to do, coming to help her. She was glad he couldn't see the flush rising on her face. But why? Why had he come for her, here and now? The timing seemed to perfect considering . . .

Ada shook herself clear of stray thoughts. If they could read each other's minds, then the last thing she needed was to give him clear access.

"Don't worry about it," Leon said quietly from behind her.

Now Ada was well and truly embarrassed. "Damn it, Kennedy. Stay out of my head." _This mind-reading thing needs to be locked down. If Leon finds out some of the things going through my head . . . _

Leon winced. "Sorry – it just comes in bursts, but it's not as bad now since you stopped it."

Ada frowned. "What do you mean? I thought that was you."

It was Leon's turn to frown. "I could barely control myself. If it wasn't either of us, then who - ?"

There was no sound to indicate their approach, but Ada felt them – her mind tingled with alien awareness and a certain lazily controlled hunger that came from all around, enveloping her. It became readily apparent that they were surrounded. The rows of yellow, inhuman eyes that suddenly pierced through the darkness at them only served to confirm her suspicions. "Leon?"

"I know." He was still looking at her, face composed, but there was no hiding the sudden sheen of cold sweat breaking on his forehead. They had no weapons, nothing to defend themselves with.

They were trapped.

"Only one way out now," said Leon, his tone grim. Ada could feel the dread draining out Leon, only to be replaced with immense determination backed by the steely will that defined Leon S. Kennedy, the survivor of so much. It didn't show in his face, which remained calm in appearance, but she could feel it radiating off him in an almost golden glow. Leon never quit, no matter the odds. The survivor in him would not accept any less.

It was a large part of what she . . . appreciated about Leon.

Ada spread her feet, readying for action. "One way out," she repeated, injecting her usual Ada flair for casualness in the face of danger into it.

"Through them."

**BASTION ISLAND, CONTROL CENTER **

_Miranda _

She watched the screens with a certain amount of trepidation. The Observer did what he did best with his usual expression of casual interest. "Quite the predicament our two wayward agents have found themselves in, don't you agree?"

Miranda found the man to be utterly irritating; his face gave absolutely nothing away. She could not read him, anymore than she could determine the personality of a granite wall. Personally, she felt distressed –after hearing the stories of these two, she had hoped they would not have been caught so early. She did not want these two on the island, but the Observer had convinced her otherwise in an impassioned argument to keep them alive. Miranda could not argue the logic of his decision, but it did nothing to put him into her good graces.

"I'm afraid I don't see why you're taking this so lightly, Observer. Our best chance of survival is about to be mauled by those beings."

"Have a little faith, Miranda," replied the Observer.

She clenched her teeth. "They're also infected."

"Yes, they are." He swiveled around and faced her, his eyes suddenly burning with some unknown emotion - triumph, perhaps? "And what an interesting effect it has had on them."

Miranda frowned. "You mean the sudden empathic link between them?"

The Observer nodded. "We've found our way into the mind of Ada Wong." He pointed at the screen which showed Leon Kennedy stepping slightly in front of Ada Wong – only to be gently, but firmly pushed aside by her. Ada threw him an exasperated look, but couldn't hide the smile forming on her lips.

Miranda pushed down a sense of fondness toward Leon.

_You would do that, wouldn't you? _

But the Observer's words chilled Miranda to her core, forcing her to come out of her musings on Leon. "How so?" she asked.

He pointed at Leon on the screen. "Through him. When they manage to escape, I'm afraid we'll have to detain Agent Kennedy to see what he knows. He might very well have discovered the key to getting off this wretched hellhole."

Fear began to pulse through Miranda. "I don't think he'll be very cooperative."

The Observer shrugged. "We'll just have to find proper leverage."

"Such as?"

He pressed a button on the console. A voice came out of a speaker seconds later. "Sir? Is there something you need?"

Smiling at Miranda he said, "Yes. Is Tina still giving our guest a tour of our facilities?"

"That is correct. Do you wish for Tina to dispose of him?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Tell her that when she is finished to bring him to me. We have much to discuss concerning his friend."

"Very well, sir."

**Author's Note: Whew. Halfway there. It's clear that neither Leon or Ada like this sudden window into each other, but it'll lead to some interesting situations between the two down the line. Also, I will admit that writing this story is getting harder and harder - not because I'm losing motivation, but because I want to get to other stories that are busy crowding my head. But never fear! I'll be seeing this one to the end. But all the same, I need to get these ideas out there before I forget, so keep an eye out for something called "The Hunnigan Files" coming up soon. It won't exactly be a story, but just a series of reports detailing on the current whereabouts of all the Resident Evil characters (except for Leon and Ada because I don't want to spoil anything for you guys). Let me know what you think in the reviews and remember to spread the word! Next chapter title: "Discovery".**

**Sincerely, **

**ShiningScribbler**


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Ugh, I'm finally back. Sorry for the extremely long wait - I just got back from a three week trip from California. This one's been ready for quite some time, just haven't been able to upload it. As always, enjoy the ride. **

**Chapter 6**

"Discovery"

**BASTION ISLAND, THE PIT **

_Ada Wong _

Ada was never one to consider the odds. She made a career out of completing the impossible, knocking down obstacles other agents would have seen as insurmountable. The challenges of her job were something she thrived on, as necessary to her being as breathing is to any mammal. Any situation, no matter how hopeless, just needed the right combination of equipment, attitude, and a healthy measure of foresight.

Being surrounded by a horde of reptilian monsters would have come as an extremely nasty surprise to the Ada Wong of fifteen years ago, who waded into Raccoon City unknowing of the horrors that awaited her; but the world had become a much more cruel and dangerous place in the years that had passed, and she had been forced to adapt as response. Agents, scientists, monsters - beings who possessed abilities and resources far superior to her had been felled because they had forgotten the first rule of combat.

Battles are won in the mind, long before they are waged in the field. Expectation of victory often bred the same – and Ada Wong most definitely played to win. She had simply used what she had better than anything that came up against her.

Like lipstick.

The small tube of lipstick slipped free of her pocket easily, the movement smooth and practiced. She had certainly felt more than a little ridiculous practicing the motion of drawing her lipstick out of her pocket for hours at a time, but was now assured by the knowledge that it had come to prove its usefulness. The tube of lipstick, like its owner, was far more dangerous than it appeared – a keepsake since Raccoon City.

Ada whipped her arm upwards and squeezed the small, hidden button on the bottom.

The tube fired a small rocket towards the ceiling. Before it had even reached halfway, Ada was already pulling Leon into a forward dive.

Two seconds later the cavern erupted into searing light as the min-rocket detonated. The sound was frightfully loud, especially so in the enclosed cavern, and the shockwave buffeted everything inside with hammer force. A cloud of silt and debris swirled through the air. Ada felt Leon cover her body with his own.

More seconds passed and Ada chanced a peek – they were no longer surrounded. An ominous cracking sound had replaced the still silence however, and even as she watched, huge chunks of rock began to pelt down from the ceiling.

"Time to move," she yelled to Leon over the din.

He grunted in the affirmative and they both made a dash towards . . . wherever it was they were heading. _Hopefully an exit_, she thought.

They sprinted forward, following a lighted path that had appeared in front of them – clearly set up by previous explorers. It was a constant struggle between the sounds of falling rocks behind them and finding proper traction on the slippery rock. More than once, Ada felt her boots nearly slipping out from under her, only to find her balance at the last possible second. A fall here and now would spell a grim end.

A rock the size of a bowling ball fell mere inches from Leon's head, shattering on the floor to his left. He yelped, but continued moving forward. "This was a great plan by the way," he shouted back at Ada.

Ada scowled. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Oh, sure! Get rid of the scary lizard monsters by bringing down the whole cavern on top of us!"

Ada leapt over a sizeable pile of debris. "Still don't see the problem. We've survived worse."

A sudden surge of memories – not hers – washed over her senses, momentarily paralyzing her. Only pure adrenaline kept her moving forward, otherwise she would have stopped, seizing at the disconcerting sensation.

"Stop that," she snapped.

The flood of memories stopped, like someone shutting off a valve. "Sorry," said Leon.

She didn't acknowledge the apology. A sense of unease roiled through her stomach, souring her mouth. She had almost forgotten about this new . . . link between her and Leon. It was proving problematic, and on more than one level. Since she had become first aware of the newfound connection, the feeling had intensified in the short time since. She could feel Leon, was aware of several bruises, scrapes, and aches that plagued his body as they did hers. Being this open to another person, both physically and emotionally was not a pleasant experience and if it had been anyone other than Leon, they would have been long dead for what he had seen.

The burning orphanage.

Ada shivered at the memory. She had bore many names, lived many lives, wore many faces, and had endured countless tragic memories - but there was one she tried to forget.

_If he's worthy of your love, why not your trust?_, whispered a poisonous little voice in her heart.

But for now she had a mission to complete, an employer to serve – and a partner by her side on whom she could rely on. It would be enough.

An eerie wailing cacophony suddenly pierced through the clatter of falling rock, raising goosebumps on her skin. Ada suddenly became aware of dozens of alien eyes on her, and began to quicken her pace.

The reptilians had returned. She exchanged a short glance with Leon, who nodded, his eyes tight with worry.

Ada pressed on grimly, intending to make her short stay in the cavern even shorter.

_Leon S. Kennedy _

In any other situation, the collapsing cavern or the pursuing reptilians would have been at the top of Leon's worries. But he supposed that it said something about Ada Wong that she topped all of the ridiculous danger that surrounded him now. He had been growing steadily aware of the mental link now connecting them – and how it was deepening every minute. Pressing at the edges of his thoughts were hers; hard-edged anxiety, tempered with a sense of coolness, mixed with exhilaration and excitement, all of them belonging to the mysterious creature running ahead and slightly to the left of him.

The tube of lipstick didn't surprise him – Leon had seen Ada use it once before, within that nightmarish facility beneath Raccoon City. As a young, inexperienced rookie cop he had run into the clutches of a Tyrant and despite his best efforts, inevitably lost the battle. The Tyrant would have easily finished him off if it weren't for the timely intervention of Ada.

It was also the first time he had caught a glimpse of the real Ada. The expression on her face as she stood over the Tyrant – a ferocity that could equal any pouncing tiger, coupled with an anger that seemed to blaze like a raging fire.

And fear – a quick flash of it, but he spotted it nonetheless in the way her hand shook as she pointed her weapon. Leon had always wondered what could possibly scare Ada Wong. It wasn't the Tyrant that was certain. He was still trying to figure out to this day.

Leon wondered if he would ever figure it out.

A brief flicker of danger was his only warning – "Ada!"

She skidded to a stop, her feet inches away from the gaping maw that had suddenly opened up before them. Leon stopped next to her and peered down.

Utter blackness. He glanced at Ada, who merely shrugged. "It's your call," was all she said, turning to face the entrance where they had come from. A sense of enhanced alertness from her through the mental link let him know that she was watching his back.

Leon squatted down and tried to gauge the distance to the bottom. Something shimmered faintly below – a possible sign of water, encouraging if it was at least several meters deep and not filled with rocks. He kicked a stray rock off the ledge and listened for the splash.

It took a while, and for several tense seconds Leon thought he imagined the sound, but it came nonetheless. The drop was admittedly more severe than he originally estimated, however it was the only exit that had been found so far. They were not exactly spoiling for options between the pursuing reptilians and the collapsing cavern.

He turned to Ada-

A sensation of hostile intent jabbed his awareness. Ada was already moving, throwing herself to the side as a huge claw slashed the air where she once stood. Leon pivoted sharply on his foot and lashed out with a kick towards the reptilian's chest. It connected and sent it flying backwards.

He glanced at Ada, sensing that she was unhurt, but still felt an overpowering need to check nonetheless. Leon moved towards her –

"Later," she snapped. "More on the way."

It was true. Alien intent surged and swarmed around his consciousness, pressing against it like a swarm of angry bees.

"The drop is pretty bad; I can't tell if there are rocks hiding at the bottom or how deep the water is. But it looks like our best chance right now."

Ada nodded. "Shall we?"

Leon gestured in front of him. "Ladies first."

She snorted. "Who says chivalry is dead?"

A B.O.W. dropped between them. Before either of them had registered its presence, a scaly claw whipped out at Ada.

Leon pushed her out of the way. She toppled over the ledge.

Relief should have come to Leon's mind, if it weren't for the sharp, agonizing pain suddenly erupting in his guts. He looked down and was surprised – almost comically so – to see the mass of wet, red blood spreading over his midsection.

There was a terrible sense of something uncoiling within him, and it took everything he had to not vomit.

An alien voice became the focal point of his pain, inhabiting his mind.

_WE REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE. _

Leon staggered to a knee, his vision fading to black. "What," he gasped. "Is this . . . your way of asking nicely?"

_YOU HARMED US. THEY WOULD NOT BE SATISFIED BY ANYTHING LESS. _

Leon grunted.

"What . . . do you need?"

The beast lowered its face to Leon's, and the full depth of its rage burrowed into his mind, almost alive in its own right.

_WE NEED YOU TO SAVE US._

Before Leon could grasp the meaning of its words, he spotted another claw whipping out at him. He had the briefest sensation of falling.

Then nothing.

_Ada Wong _

It was a moment stretched to breathless eternity and made all the more cruel by it. Ada watched as Leon struggled to keep his insides from spilling out of the terrible wound inflicted by the monster before him.

His pain flared horribly through the mental link they now shared and it was as though she herself had been eviscerated.

She reached out in a vain attempt, her hand too far from Leon's back to do anything –

And then she was falling, the water below all too eager to welcome her in its rush towards her face.

In the seconds before hitting, the moment replayed in brutal clarity. She could see everything.

_What do you do when you can see everything? _

Ada closed her eyes.

**BASTION ISLAND, MEDICAL FACILITY **

_Theo Randall _

It was quite the discovery, all things considered. He stared out at the window, watching the scientists do their work. What they were doing didn't catch his attention –

It was how many of them there were. The lab was built for at least a dozen more than the number currently filling the lab. He glanced at Tina, and caught her worried expression.

"Seems kind of empty," Theo casually noted. "Everyone else playing hooky or something?"

Tina glanced at him and said, "I sincerely hope so."

He arched an eyebrow waiting for more, but she merely turned on her heel and continued their "tour".

Theo limped along, leaning heavily on the cane supplied by Nurse Tina; the glass corridor sprawling before him stretched considerably before ending in a sealed vault door. It definitely looked expensive, not something built on the fly or on a limited budget. No, anyone with a working pair of eyes could see that a powerful and connected organization had been constructing this facility for years, and was building it to last. Everything spoke of efficiency and power everywhere he looked.

Nurse Tina had showed her the extent of her medical ward, and Theo couldn't help but be impressed by what he saw – the equipment, the procedures, the techniques being done here were well advanced beyond what he saw in the outside world. The scientists and doctors here clearly knew what they were doing. Passing by and striking up conversations with some of them, Theo noted the slight tilt of their chins, the sparkle in their eyes – they took great pride in their work and relished their time here.

It wasn't hard to see why. Working for Umbrella provided scientists with the ability to push the current boundaries on what could be done without being hampered by any limits on budget or outside interests. The company was smart enough to simply give their employees the tools they needed and then step back and let them do what they did best without any interference on their behalf.

At least, according to Tina's version of the company history. Theo knew better.

Arty the Tyrant stomped menacingly behind him, bringing his mind back to more present matters. Its presence was described by Tina as for "safety purposes". Theo almost choked at that thought, but regretted it immediately when Arty had raised an enormous hand to thump him in the back.

. He shook his head and refocused on what Nurse Tina was saying.

". . . founder built the facility several years ago, along with several similar ones around the globe, as a fallback shelter in case of extreme emergencies. We relocated here several weeks ago when her vitals flat lined."

"Your founder –who was she?" Theo asked.

Tina glanced at him, and seemed to consider her answer. "A complex woman."

_Aha_, Theo thought. So far, Tina had shown no compunction in giving answers to all of his questions so far. This was the first time she had dodged a question. He decided to ignore her evasion and continue onwards.

"Complex in what way?" he asked. She didn't answer.

They reached the door at the end, which slid open promptly without any sound. Theo blinked at the revelation of an ornate office with a large library of books adorning the walls. In the center stood a handsome, polished desk that was probably worth more than all of Theo's living room furniture combined. Everywhere he looked he saw stacks of paper and dust.

Tina walked inside; Theo followed and noted that Arty the Tyrant did not follow. He blew a raspberry at the monstrosity, which only stared back at him in stoic silence.

She picked up a dust covered photo frame and blew it clean. Theo waved some of the stray dust motes out of the way and stared down at the photograph, his stomach dropping at what he saw.

He recognized one face – Derek C. Simmons, disgraced former National Security Advisor. An oddly sincere smile was plastered over his face, looking all the more out of place considering what the man had become in the end. Theo felt his face turning up in disgust, but it was the other person in the photograph that startled him.

Tina pointed at her. "That's her."

Ada Wong, with her typical smirk in place.

_Complex indeed_, Theo thought.

_What the hell is going on here? _

**Author's Note: So, yeah, for those who played Resident Evil 6 you know who's really in that photo. If you collected all of the files in that game, you'll find that the evacuation of all Neo-Umbrella employees to secure facilities around the globe following Carla's death is a legit thing. Also, it's been brought to my attention by an excellent reviewer that the mental link seems to be coming off as too transparent - which is not the intent of it. Ada and Leon still have their secrets from each other, and that will still come into play no worries. The mental link, a result of the infection which will be rearing its ugly head in the next chapter (titled "Hidden") is not like looking into a clear window. It's much more muddied and complex, think of it like looking into a muddy pond - you might catch a glimpse of something here and there, but not really. Ada lets Leon see as much as she allows, and vice versa. But the fact is that Ada is much more open to Leon than she thinks, and having it there really scares her. She's always been a closed and guarded person from what I've seen and I brought this in as a way to open her up to Leon, albeit unwillingly and reluctantly. Any confusion there is my fault, and I will work harder in following chapters to clear that up. Per usual, read, review and spread the word. **

**Sincerely,**

**ShiningScribbler**

**P.S. - Don't forget to check out my other work, "The Hunnigan Files". Next one features Jake and should be up soon. **


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Aaaand we're back. Finally, I know. I've been busy studying and preparing for applications to graduate schools. Enjoy the ride. **

**Chapter 7 **

"Hidden"

**BASTION ISLAND, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT **

_Ada Wong _

Ada fought for her life.

The drop had not been pleasant by any means, and the shock of the freezing water hadn't helped, but that was the least of her worries. The water below had opened into an underground river that pulled her along violently, her limbs flailing about like a child's doll. Trying to fight against the currents would have been a suicidal choice; she didn't have the energy to expend, and even if she did, there was nowhere else to go.

But swimming _with_ the forces pushing her forward would also culminate in her likely death – at the speed she was being pulled, a single misstep would send her flying into the side of a wall at break-neck pace.

Ada did the only thing she could; she curled up into a ball, hugging her legs tightly to her chest and let the current pull her along. By doing so she presented a smaller target, and when she did hit something it only left a bruise and not a broken bone. She only broke this strategy when she needed air, making sure that the current wasn't too strong when she did so.

Other than that, Ada tried not to think so much.

The rest of her thoughts, if she had breath enough to express them, would have left her screaming.

The river ended at some point; Ada wasn't sure for how long she had been drifting, since her watch had been lost to the raging currents, but she found herself being nudged gently ashore at the mouth of another expansive cavern.

She pulled herself up, wincing at the sudden pain arcing through her body; the various aches and bruises compiled over the last – day? It was hard to tell how long she'd been here – were finally starting to gang up on her.

A light flared in front of her, hideously strong now that her eyes had become accustomed to the dark. Her hand instinctively went up to shield from the glare.

A silhouette stepped in front of the light, resolving itself into the figure of a woman with graying hair and a severe business suit. Blinking away her disorientation, Ada stared at the woman, who was now appraising her through tinted glasses. She looked out of place in the cold, musty cavern – Ada imagined her more at home behind a desk as a librarian or secretary. But if that was true, the strange woman did not show it; any discomfort she might have had was hidden behind a shrewd, calculating gaze.

There was something else about her that nagged at Ada . . .

After giving Ada a once-over, the woman nodded once, seemingly coming to a decision about the spy. She extended her hand, introducing herself. "Ms. Wong, my name is Miranda."

Ada glanced down at herself and felt a wry smile coming on. "If I'd known there would be guests, I would have dressed better."

She did not reach for Miranda's outstretched hand. Alarm bells were ringing inside Ada's head, and she subtly shifted her stance to a defensive position. Spies liked surprises, but only if they were the ones doing the surprising.

To her amazement, Miranda mirrored her movements. Ada arched an eyebrow.

"Expecting a fight?" Miranda asked. She removed her hand and casually placed it behind her. Ada wondered if she was now gripping a gun or a knife.

"Only if you're bringing one," Ada replied.

"We can be civil about this. We picked up your friend, Agent Kennedy."

Ada felt a surge of emotion at her words. "He's alive?" The words and the concern behind them slipped out of her mouth before she could clamp down on them.

"Barely. Would you like to see him?"

Ada wanted nothing more at that exact moment than to make sure that Leon was okay.

But she had a promise to keep.

"I think I'll have to take a rain check on that offer. You know why I'm here."

Miranda nodded. "We have it."

"Then you know I'll be taking it."

A dozen red dots flashed and appeared on Ada's body. The smile on her face remained, but her heart thudded relentlessly inside her chest.

"Not after you help us first, I'm afraid," Miranda said. She smiled and extended her hand once more, only this time with a gun firmly in grip.

Ada sighed and raised her arms in surrender. "Well, since you asked so nicely."

**BASTION ISLAND, DIRECTOR'S OFFICE **

_Theo Randall _

"Do you know who this is?" Theo demanded.

"Our Director and the founder of Neo-Umbrella," said Tina, taken aback at the sharp tone in his voice. "Why?"

"Ada Wong. She's the director of Neo-Umbrella?"

"Yes."

That made no sense, until Theo remembered the disjointed reports of Ada Wong's activities during the Edonia and China incidents. Leon had all but confirmed that there were two of them – both with their own mysterious agendas, but had not known anything else. Ada, the real Ada, had disappeared after Simmons demise without any explanation.

_So who is in this picture? _

"You said she was complex. What do you mean by that?"

"She was a brilliant scientist. Driven, passionate, and most importantly – curious. Director Wong encouraged all of us to reach beyond the norm in every manner possible."

Theo studied Tina's face and was intrigued by how lively it had become as she explained the late Director's initiative to re-invigorate the laws of the natural world through the scientists at Neo-Umbrella. During the tour of the nearly empty Neo-Umbrella facilities, Tina had seemed morose and distant; clearly she was distraught at her fellow employees being taken.

It hit Theo then; Tina cared. It was almost unheard of in anything associated with Umbrella; Spencer, Marcus, Birkin – all of them had been selfish individuals, seeking to attain godhood at the expense of countless innocents. They treated their employees as expendable, and at worst, as guinea pigs for the horrible experiments of their scientists. Nothing good had come out at that company.

And yet here was Tina, who had nothing but praise for Neo-Umbrella. It was genuine.

It troubled Theo. He didn't know why, but it did.

"What went wrong?"

Tina stopped her explanation mid-sentence and her face abruptly became downcast. "How did you know?"

"You're talking about her in the past tense. I know she died, but there was something else – something you're not telling me."

"Very astute, Mr. Randall," said a voice from behind Theo.

Chips of ice seemed to form in Theo's veins at the voice; he didn't look and saw the reaction on Tina's face: the slight widening of her eyes, a parting of the lips in surprise. She stepped back and bowed her head in respect to the other person now occupying the Director's office.

"Sir, I've brought him here as requested."

"Splendid work as always, Ms. Tina. You may return to your station."

Tina nodded once, glanced at Theo – who waved cheerily – and departed in a hurry.

Theo kept waving until the door closed. The smile on his face disappeared and he turned around slowly.

Albert Wesker now stood behind the director's desk. Dressed immaculately in a black suit and dress shoes, wearing his trademark sunglasses, he seemed more like a suave, debonair businessman than the monster who was personally responsible for the deaths of thousands. He wore a small smile that seemed more amused than predatory, but Theo imagined that it was the last thing anyone saw before their inevitable demise. There was nowhere to run; no weapon to use – the Butcher of Kijuju, the Slaughterer of S.T.A.R.S, the Beast himself was here, standing no more than a few feet away from Theo.

"I expect that you want some answers Mr. Randall," Wesker said.

Theo worked moisture into his suddenly dry mouth. "That'd be a good place to start, yeah," he managed.

"By all means, ask away." Wesker's tone was polite, Theo noted, and brooked no sign of anger or aggression. But that could change in an instant.

_Tread lightly, Theo. _

"Seems like rumors of your death were greatly exaggerated then," Theo said.

"Not really," Wesker replied. "Albert Wesker did die in Kijuju, burning at the heart of the local volcano when Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar decided to speed up the process by firing rockets at him."

Theo, who had started pacing in front of Wesker, stopped at this peculiar statement. "Why did you just refer to yourself in the third person? Is that some evil megalomaniacal thing?"

"I am not Albert Wesker. I am his replacement."

"What do you mean replacement? Like a clone?"

Wesker was silent.

"Jesus." Theo ran a hand through his hair. "Are there more of you just hidden about, waiting to hatch?"

Wesker shrugged. "Not that I know of. I certainly hope not. The world has suffered enough from one Albert Wesker."

"You _are_ Albert Wesker," Theo pointed out. Politely.

"I have his traits, yes; his looks, his mannerisms, his memories, and his abilities. But I have something he didn't, which sets me far apart from the original."

"Which would be what, exactly?" Theo asked.

"A heart."

Theo stared at him, feeling incredulous. "You expect me to believe that? That you suddenly care?"

Wesker shrugged again. "It is clear that you, being a man of action, will not take me at my word. You have every right to feel the way you do about Albert Wesker, but I will ask again that you no longer refer to me as such. I am _not_ him."

Although his eyes were hidden behind implacable sunglasses, Theo felt the weight of his gaze suddenly fall on him. It was like a hawk zeroing in on a fleeing mouse. He decided that dropping the subject now might be useful for preserving his life.

"Well, what do I call you?"

"You," he replied, "may refer to me as The Observer."

**BASTION ISLAND, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT **

_Miranda _

Walking down a corridor, Ada cried out, collapsing to her knees.

Miranda watched with a certain amount of malicious amusement. _Everything you feel now is much deserved_.

After a few moments of watching the spy convulse in agony, she motioned towards her guards. "Pick up Ms. Wong, please. We've already delayed enough."

They did as ordered, but Ada – to her credit – managed to stagger upright by herself. She wiped her mouth and did not seem the least bit concerned by the blood smear on her hand. Miranda could not help but begrudge her with some respect.

"I'm guessing the virus is kicking in now," Ada said.

Miranda nodded. "It was meant to speed up brain processes. Unfortunate side effects occurred during testing and we had to shut it down."

"Like turning people into lizard things?"

Miranda shrugged and continued walking. "It's unknown how the virus escaped destruction. But yes, it has been the root of all our problems of late. We've lost numerous personnel to those infected."

Ada kept pace with the older woman, and Miranda's opinion of her went up a few more notches. Normally after an episode such as that, the patient was down for at least a few hours. The spy walked unsteadily, still in obvious pain, but did so under her own power.

"So why don't you just leave?"

"The infected are guarding the only means of escape, our submarine. Enough to hold all the remaining personnel and fully stocked to ensure that we have a means of survival until we reach another safe haven. All attempts to re-take it have been met with failure. We're here."

Miranda swiped her identification card in front of a scanner. The door in front of them hissed open and they walked into an office.

Two people were inside. One was a man, leaning heavily on a cane and dressed in scrubs.

The other was the Observer, Miranda's superior. She nodded at him and said, "I've brought her as requested."

"Thank you, Miranda. Ms. Wong, would you care to take a seat?"

Ada stood frozen to the space, and Miranda found herself enjoying the momentary look of dumbstruck surprise on her face. It was quickly smoothed over, but Ada's eyes remained wary. "Wesker. Seems rumors of your death have been greatly exaggerated."

"Ada?" The other man, Theo Randall seemed surprised by their visit. "Where's Leon?"

For a moment, the spy seemed uncomfortable. Miranda stepped in. "Resting at our medical facilities."

Randall blinked. "He's been hurt?" He looked at Ada and seemed to grow incensed at her presence. "He came here for you! You let him get hurt?"

"I didn't ask him to play hero for me. That was his own choice," Ada replied coolly. "And we haven't the time; bigger problems are at play."

"Yeah, like the fact that Albert freaking Wesker is standing here. And maybe also, like why your face is in this picture?" Randall tossed a frame at Ada who caught it deftly in one hand. She arched an eyebrow at the photo.

"Carla," was all she said.

"Who the hell is Carla?" Theo demanded.

"A long story," Ada replied. She looked toward the Observer and said, "I suppose yours is going to wait for a better time as well."

"As you said before, Ms. Wong; we do have more pressing matters to attend. There is a traitor in our midst."

"And who" asked Miranda, "might that be?"

The Observer smiled and Miranda felt a chill enter the room. "Need we ask?"

An explosion rocked the room, throwing everybody to the floor – everybody except Miranda and the Observer.

"I'm assuming that's your ride out of here?" asked the Observer, casually.

Miranda was silent before allowing a vicious smile to appear on her face. "When did you figure out?"

"I've had my suspicions. The timing of your appearance, how compliant you've been with my orders." The room shook once more and a wailing klaxon began to erupt throughout the space. Miranda took no notice of it.

_The long game ends. _

**BASTION ISLAND, OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR **

_Ada Wong _

There was a very long, intricate story behind everything that was happening here but Ada Wong had no interest in it.

What she was interested was the gun lying on the floor about a foot from her head. The guard it previously belonged to was no longer conscious, having hit his head after the first explosion. She scrambled for it.

"I know what Carla did to you, Miranda." The Observer's voice was soft, but no less dangerous for it. Hearing Wesker's voice after all this time still sent shivers down Ada's back.

Miranda seemed to twitch at the name. "You knew? About her condition?"

"I did. I tried to help any way I could, but she was too far gone for it to matter."

Another explosion shook the room; debris fell in chunks all around them, but neither the Observer nor Miranda seemed to take notice. They stood across from each other, violence and menace swirling in an almost palpable aura. Ada reached the gun and aimed it at the both of them.

"You know what I came here for," she said. "I want it. Now."

Miranda turned her eyes toward Ada, and she took an involuntary step backwards at the raw, seething hatred that glittered in them. All of it – all of it was directed at her.

"You think I actually have the serum? I lied."

Ada felt her stomach drop at the statement, but tightened her hands on the weapon instead, drawing comfort from its solidarity. "Liar! I know you have it."

"To keep your promises?" Miranda taunted.

The way she said it, stirred an alarm in the back of Ada's mind. "You don't know anything about that. You can't."

"I know much more than you will ever admit, Ada Wong." Miranda's eyes had narrowed to slits and she seethed with anger. "And I'll kill you before the day is done; for everything, everything that's happened to me because of YOU."

And that's when it hit Ada – why Miranda seemed so familiar to her.

"You see it, don't you?" The Observer's eyes flashed.

Ada didn't want to. But the evidence was staring her right in the face.

"Carla – she went mad at the revelation of what had happened to her at Simmons hands. You think she didn't try to find a way to undo what had been done? She didn't care how – or who. I was her aide, her closest advocate, the one she confessed everything to. Of course, I volunteered for the procedure."

"And it backfired," the Observer said gently.

Miranda's hands closed and opened erratically. "It worked all too well – in order to undo it, I had to become Ada Wong first! Implanted with her mannerisms, her looks, her personality – her memories!" Her eyes were too wide, the madness in them pouring through. "What you've done – what you've seen, it was too much. Just as it eventually did to her, it did to me. Being you drove me mad!"

"I'm sorry," was all Ada said. "Being me – not something I wouldn't wish on anyone."

Miranda screamed. "I had a family – a husband, a son; they tried to bring me back, and I KILLED THEM FOR IT!"

The Observer knocked her out.

Ada blinked – she hadn't even seen him move, it happened so fast. He looked down at Miranda's unconscious body, but there was no remorse or sense of pity on that terrible face.

Ada raised her weapon at him.

He smiled at her. "We are not enemies today, Ada Wong."

"No. But we're going to start sometime. And I do hate loose ends."

The Observer gestured in a conciliatory manner. "True. But I have something you need."

Ada placed her finger on the trigger, prepared to squeeze if he so much as twitched in the wrong direction. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"A key. More specifically, a master key. You need it to get out, I'm afraid. You could take your friend over there and get Agent Kennedy before they bomb this island to dust."

"'They'? Who are they?"

"The Family, of course. Our mutual enemy."

_Simmon's mysterious "Family" again. They're proving to be meddlesome. _

"Or you could get what came here for. The serum." The room shook again and the power went out. Ada and the Observer stood in the shadows, and she noticed that his eyes glowed faintly red in the darkness. He looked like a demon, so still and gaunt, ready to pull some unlucky traveler down to hell.

"Time, unfortunately, will only gift you with one of those choices. I suggest you choose quickly."

"And what are you going to do?"

The Observer's voice turned serious. "Evacuate my people. I have a duty, a responsibility to them."

Ada felt surprise – and then annoyance, as she reflected how often that emotion came popping up lately. Spies don't like surprises, after all.

"Wesker wouldn't care. Why do you?"

"I am not him." She heard him move and tracked her weapon accordingly.

"And what are you exactly, then?"

His voice whispered into her ear. "I am myself. And nothing more."

She swung her weapon around, her heart racing – but there was nothing there. The power flickered briefly; no one was there.

Miranda was gone as well.

Ada stood still making certain of that when she felt something in her pocket. She took out an identification card with the Observer's face on it.

It was the key.

It was like someone flooded her veins with ice water. "Still creepy," she said to the empty room. "That hasn't changed."

A groan from somewhere to her left caught her attention. It was the man with the cane. She grabbed him. "Do you know where the medical facilities are?"

"What – yes! Yes, don't shoot!"

"How do you know Leon?"

"I'm a friend; I was the pilot before we crashed."

Ada pulled him up and began walking towards the office door. It opened and she scanned the corridor ahead.

It was full of reptilians.

"You know how to shoot?"

She heard the distinctive click of a magazine being shoved into its slot from behind her. "Does that answer your question?"

Ada smiled faintly. "Alright then. We move forward and grab Leon."

The man – Randall was his name, she recalled – looked outside the door and paled at what he saw. "What the hell are those things?"

"Old friends," Ada said with a sigh.

"We have friends all over this stupid rock, don't we?" Randall remarked. "What's the plan of attack?"

Ada kicked the door open. The reptilians turned as one towards the source of the sound, hissing at the sight of the new intruders.

There was a time for subtlety, and a time for action.

"We attack!" she shouted and started spraying into the monsters ahead.

A single thought plagued her mind though: _Leon? _

_ Or the promise? _

**Author's Note: We're on the downhill stretch at last. I'm thinking I'll end this story at Chapter 10 for a nice even number. Thanks for sticking around so long. I realize everyone's probably busy with school now that it's back, unfortunately, I totally understand, but remember to read, review, and spread the word! Reviews keep me inspired to keep going on even when writing this story is an absolute drag at times. **

**Sincerely, **

**ShiningScribbler **

**P.S. - Check out my Ada Wong short story, titled "Prelude"! It's a story I've been itching to tell for quite a while. It's going to be three chapters, taking place shortly before she meets up with a certain rookie police officer. You'll see Ada as never before. First chapter's been up for a while. **


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: It's been a while, I know. First an explanation: this chapter would have been up A LOT earlier, except for the fact that my laptop crapped out and I had to get it sent in. It took TWO WEEKS to get it back fixed, and when I did, everything I had for this story was gone. So, I had to start from scratch. Add that to my studying load and I've been playing catch-up for the past week and a half. Thanks for everyone who is hanging in there with me. We're almost at the end. As always, read and enjoy the ride. **

**Chapter 8 **

"_Choices" _

**CHINA, TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO **

_The Orphanage for Wayward Girls_

"_Witch!_"

_The curse, filled with hate and poison, followed the young girl as she fled through the darkened hallway. But she didn't falter in her steps; she let the fear of being followed fuel her mind, and she quickened her pace. Bare feet, bloodied and dirtied from the recent struggle, pounded mercilessly down the hard wooden floor but the young girl's mind was flooded with too many varying emotions to truly take notice. _

_ She reached a corner and paused to catch her breath. Throughout the building, she heard the relentless thud of many footsteps; yells and shouts in harsh language filtered into the air, and what little she could make it out was indecipherable, but even she could not mistake the tones: they were all looking for her. _

_ Fear pounded unceasingly through her veins, feeling so much like ice water. But the girl shook her head; it wouldn't do her any good to succumb to such feelings. _

_ It didn't do the girls who had been caught any good. They had begged; they had pleaded with the men clad in white lab suits. And she had seen what had happened to them. _

_ She vowed to never let it happen to her. _

_ Or anyone else. _

_ A moment later, a sharp, acrid smell wafted through the air. The girl sniffed hesitantly, and then recognizing it, let loose a wolfish smile. _

_ The yells and shouts became more urgent, and she managed to recognize one word throughout all the cacophony: _

_ Fire. _

_ Peeking around the corner, she spied a group of men rushing down the hallway dressed in soldier's garb. Waiting several more seconds to ensure that no one else was coming down that way, she made a dash for freedom. _

_ A clawed hand fell on her shoulder, yanking her backwards. A second hand joined the first, and she found herself pushed up against the wall. The girl kicked at the creature holding her, barely biting back a terrified scream: it was the matron, the elder woman who terrorized the young girls at the orphanage. The one behind all the abductions, all the lies, and all the petty cruelties done to the girl and her friends. _

_ Or rather, what was left of her. There was a shiny, waxy look to her skin, and her smile stretched too wide to be entirely human. Her eyes were yellowed and bulged largely in a gaunt face that scared children long before she had been transformed. _

_ "Hello, witch," breathed the matron creature. It ran a sharp finger that was white as bone over the girl's cheek in a caress. The girl cried out as a cut opened where the finger dragged. "Did you miss me?" _

_ The girl spat at the thing's face. _

_ "Defiant to the end, I see." Madness swirled in the creature's yellow eyes, and it cackled. "You will die screaming, I will make sure of that." _

_ Its mouth opened wide, too wide towards the girl's face. She struggled fiercely, but the matron creature's strength was far beyond her own – _

_ There was a loud noise, like someone slamming a book down on a table. The matron creature froze, mouth still opened ridiculously wide, and then crumpled. The girl fell with it, landing on her butt. She was shaking, breathing hard, and terrified out of her mind, but otherwise unharmed save for the cut on her cheek. _

_ Down the hallway, a man in a white lab suit stood with a smoking gun. His arm was shaking as he lowered the weapon. The girl watched with wary distrust as he approached, his face concerned. He was tall, but scrawny, with a tousle of brown hair falling over his green eyes. The man knelt down before the girl, his hand outstretched. _

_ "Hi there," he said. _

_ The girl glared at him. _

_ "I'm not here to hurt you. What's your name?" _

_ She shook her head. Another person –a Chinese woman, clad in black and holding a rifle, appeared behind him. "Jonathan, we need to go. The orphanage is swarming with those things and the fire is spreading." _

_ "Just a moment, Ana. We're taking her with us." _

_ Ana stared down at the dirty young girl. "Please tell me you are making another one of your American jokes." _

_ Jonathan laughed, despite the situation. "No, but I wish I was. She survived. I want to know why." _

_ Ana sighed. "And how do you propose we handle this? Just adopt her?" _

_ "I don't see why not." _

_ The girl suddenly lashed out at the woman, making a grab for the rifle. Ana slapped her down, and aimed the barrel at the girl's head. _

_ "She's a feisty one, I'll give her that," Ana remarked. "Maybe I can make something out of this." _

_ "Yes. And our daughter will finally get the sister she's been clamoring for." _

_ Ana considered that. "Very well. But I'm tying her up." _

_ "As you wish, dear." _

_ Some weeks later, after some gentle instruction (and not so gentle persuasion from Ana), the girl was introduced to her new sister. The girl marveled at how her luck had turned out, and how nice her new family was. _

_ They met in a garden, dressed in matching outfits save for different colors: the girl wore a red dress, while her sister was wearing purple. _

_ Her sister bore a cheerful smile and walked up to hug the newest addition to the family. The girl, still nervous from her terrible experiences, refrained from hugging back. She was still unsure of how to act. _

_ But the hug felt good. She leaned into it. _

_ After a while, her sister released her, still smiling. She took a step back and held out her hand. The girl tenderly took it and they both shook. _

_ "Nice to meet you," said her sister. "What's your name?" _

_ The girl told her. _

_ "That's your old name," corrected the other girl. "Mom and Dad gave you a new one, remember?" _

_ She nodded, remembering. _

_ "Can you say it?" _

_ The girl stumbled, embarrassed at her inadequate grasp of the language. But the laugh her sister let out was a good natured one. _

_ "It's okay. We'll work on that. Let me introduce myself, then." _

_ She held out her hand and they both shook once more. _

_ "My name," the other girl said, eyes sparkling mischieviously, "is Ada. Ada Wong." _

**BASTION ISLAND, MEDICAL FACILITY (PRESENT DAY)**

_Leon S. Kennedy_

Leon was moving after the first explosion.

Or rather he was trying to move. An attempted combat roll out of the hospital bed resulted in a sort of flopping motion. Pain racked his body, especially around his abdomen where he had been eviscerated from before.

Gritting his teeth, he took a peek at the wound.

He immediately wished that he hadn't. Instead of a mess of guts and blood, he saw scales. Lots and lots of scales covering where the wounds should have been, spreading across his lower body like some unnatural rash.

_So I am infected, then. _

Leon grew worried for Ada. Presumably, she was beginning to feel the effects of the infection as well.

And where was Theo?

He had to find them both. Then get the hell off this island.

"Sounds like a plan," he said to the empty room. Another explosion rocked the building, cracks forming over the once solid walls. Alarmed, he threw himself out of bed, only to receive a jolt of pain for his efforts. It was so intense that even Leon, used to all manner of injuries, was paralyzed by the sheer force of it.

Then, suddenly, it lifted and he relaxed in its absence.

"Are you alright?" asked a voice.

He blinked, and then craned his head towards it. A nurse, her scrubs dirty and ripped, stood above him, syringe in hand.

"Yes. Thank you," Leon replied, his voice rough. "What did you do?"

"Vaccine. You're lucky – scientists over at R&D managed to produce some before you came here. Not enough, though," said the nurse, her tone turning sad.

_That explains all the BOWs crawling around_, Leon thought.

"Anyway, I've brought your things," continued the nurse – the nametag read "Tina" – and she produced Leon's weapons along with –

Ada's compact. Leon's eyes widened slightly at the sight of it. He had totally forgotten about it in the ensuing chaos after arriving on the island. "Why are you helping me?"

Tina looked at him. "You saw my Neo-Umbrella logo, didn't you?"

Leon nodded.

"I know you've had your experiences with Umbrella and the horrors they've unleashed. But we're past that now - "

"Tell that," Leon said, "to the millions of people who died during the China Incident."

Her eyes flashed. "That was not our fault. Although the woman who was behind the event claimed Neo-Umbrella as behind the events, believe me that it was not our doing. She – she wasn't in her right mind."

Leon caught Tina's hitch at the end. "Ada Wong was that woman, am I right?"

Tina didn't look at him. "So she claimed."

_What the hell did that mean? _

He accepted his weapons and shoved the compact into his pocket for safekeeping. With Tina's help, Leon managed to stand, feeling his strength return slowly, but surely with every passing minute.

"Looks like your vaccine is working," Leon remarked.

"Good. I'll be taking my leave now, Agent Kennedy." The nurse turned to leave. Leon grabbed her arm and said, "Wait. How do I know Neo-Umbrella won't attack again?"

"This base should serve all the evidence you need."

"It looks like a weapons facility," Leon countered. "For BOWs and all sorts of other nasty stuff. Not exactly the best defense to use for claiming innocence."

"This base was to be our 'Bastion' – a place of refuge and safety, hence the name, Agent Kennedy. And it's been here for years. We could have wiped the world out several times over with what we've been developing here. So ask yourself this: why have we been stockpiling our best weapons and scientists?"

Leon thought about it. The answer came easily. "For a war. But against who?"

"Who," Tina whispered, "would warrant such a war?"

_We're going up against the people who really run this country. _

"The Family." It was a phrase he'd heard in hushed whispers, and with faint speculation on Hunnigan's report.

Tina nodded. "Don't say it out loud, Agent Kennedy. You don't want to be a target. For too long they've been pulling at the strings of everyone. Our organization, Neo-Umbrella, aims to make that statement untrue: to advance humanity past their selfish goals."

"Which are?"

"Control," said Tina.

That single word sent an icy hand up Leon's spine. He let go of Tina. "I still don't trust you. Or your organization. There's been too much blood that's been shed over the previous Umbrella, and you guys haven't done much too distinguish otherwise."

"We don't need your trust, Agent Kennedy. Just don't get in our way," replied Tina, her eyes flashing again. Another explosion rocked the building; chunks of metal and debris began to rain down from the weakening ceiling.

"We are Neo-Umbrella. And we will see this world free."

Leon brushed dust out of his eyes and saw that he was alone.

"Nice exit," he muttered.

He moved outside –

Something grabbed at his arm and he was thrown to the ground. His gun slid across the hallway and fell into a fissure that had opened there.

Someone hovered over him, smiling a wicked, wicked smile. The face grew closer and Leon found himself staring at an expression that had haunted his dreams, waking or otherwise, for the past fifteen years.

"Ada?" he choked out.

The smirk grew into a smile, which became grotesquely wide. "No," purred the woman who had Ada's face, but wasn't Ada. "No, not quite."

**BASTION ISLAND, MEDICAL FACILITY **

_Ada Wong_

Rough hands grabbed her by the shoulders – was it the matron creature once again? But she was no longer the small, terrified girl who had been lucky to survive; now, she was a master spy and the bane of world intelligence agencies globally. She had beaten mutant monstrosities, mad scientists, and the abomination that Derek C. Simmons had become. She had outwitted mercenaries, certain persistent U.S. Agents, and Albert Wesker himself.

She was Ada Wong.

Compared to everything she had faced since that night in the orphanage, the matron creature was a mere footnote; a childhood nightmare that was incapable of hurting her anymore than a shadow could.

Ada snapped her eyes open and struck both her fists outward in a quick motion. Her opponent released her immediately and she rolled to the side, bringing her gun to bear –

Randall raised his arms in surrender. "Stop! It's me, it's me!"

The spy froze, her instincts screaming at her to squeeze the trigger.

"Ada, it's me! You got knocked out when one of those things snuck up on you. Do you remember?"

Ada's memory began to play catch-up; the promise, the island, BOWs, Wesker's return, and most importantly, Leon.

She lowered her gun. "Sorry. Got caught up in all the excitement."

_You'll die screaming, I'll make sure of that. _

Ada grimaced. Now was not the time to be spooked by past nightmares. A decision needed to be made. Leon – or the promise?

"Lots of choices to make here," Randall remarked. Ada glanced sharply at him, only to see that he was facing the two corridors that lay before them.

"We're close," Randall said. He was working off his memory, leaving the spy sufficiently impressed. It was clear that he was a former agent, handling himself just fine despite his impairment. "Can't remember this bit, though."

He scratched his head and glanced back at Ada. "What do you think?"

Ada became even more impressed. Randall was testing her, to see if she'd been here before. What had he found out?

Ada decided to go for the aggressive approach. She was tired and not in the mood for anymore games. "Quit with the games, Randall. Why are you testing me?"

"Because I found this." He reached into his pocket and threw something at her. Ada caught it deftly in one hand.

It was the photo with Carla and Simmons.

"Despite the appearances to the contrary, that never happened." Ada crumpled the photo and threw it aside.

"Quit with the bull! Leon is throwing his life on the line for you – and if he's too stupid to ask why, then as his friend I'll do it for him." Randall raised his weapon and pointed it straight at Ada. After having seen him in action, she did not have a single doubt as to his accuracy.

"I never asked him to play hero for me," Ada stated coldly. "And if you point that weapon at me, you better be prepared to pull the trigger."

Randall narrowed his eyes. "Answers. Now."

"Then ask some questions," Ada shot back.

"Who are you really?"

"Ada Wong."

Randall smiled bitterly. "Guess that was too easy, then. Next question: why are you here?"

Ada pretended to ponder that question. "Well, when a boy likes a girl . . ."

Randall fired a bullet into Ada's shoulder. She staggered back a step, biting back a scream of pain.

"Try again. I don't play games when my friend's life is on the line."

"Then why are you asking this, now? The whole island is exploding, we're being hunted, and we don't know Leon's condition – we're wasting TIME!"

Randall didn't blink. "Things look pretty grim. Maybe we won't make it out anyway."

"There's always a chance. If it's me, and if it's Leon, there is always a goddamn chance."

"Why do you care? He's nothing to you."

Pain cleaved Ada's head in two, and she fell, gasping at the sheer crippling effect it had on her. It was like someone had driven a spike straight into the center of her skull.

Randall's voice was merciless. "Answer the question, Wong."

Ada's voice sounded raspy when it came out, but she spoke nonetheless. "I do . . . care."

"Prove it."

"Are you done with these stupid questions?" It was taking everything she had not to scream out.

She became dimly aware that Randall was now standing over here. "One last question: why are you running from him?"

_What? _

"Not . . . running," she staggered out.

"Oh? What then?"

Ada stood up and stared at Randall, the pain scraping her nerves raw. But she remained firm and was thankful when her voice came out strong and steady. "I'm saving him."

He stared at Ada for several tense seconds. Then he nodded and lowered his weapon.

"I see," was all he said, and looked thoughtful.

Ada punched him in the face.

"I hope you also see the black eye I just gave you. Don't ever point a weapon at me again unless you have the intent to pull the trigger, do you understand?"

Randall nodded, and smiled. "Let's keep moving," Ada said.

"Leon's got his hands full with you."

They were too late.

All across the walls was blood. Lots of it.

"It might not be his," Randall tried to reason. "We don't know what happened here."

"I do," Ada said quietly. He looked at her and winced.

Ada surveyed the scene with dead eyes. Someone had used the blood to scrawl a message on the walls:

_FAKE ME. _

At the bottom of the macabre message lay a single item.

It was Ada's compact. She knelt down, remembering the last time she gave it to Leon.

She opened it and saw what was inside.

"Idiot," she whispered. "You've got lousy timing."

Randall approached and Ada closed the compact, hiding its secret contents away from him. She needed to compose herself. Now was not the time to get emotional.

"Who did this?" he asked, his voice quaking in rage.

"Someone with a beef against me."

"Why?"

"For being me," Ada replied and she turned down the hallway.

Randall followed closely. "Where the hell are we going? Ada, we need a plan!"

"I have a plan." She checked the magazine on her weapon and then clicked it back into place.

"It's clearly a trap. We can't just attack like we did last time! And how do we know where they went?"

Ada pointed down at the floor. Randall looked and saw blood droplets leading down the hallway and then left at a corner up ahead.

"Christ. Like bread crumbs."

Ada nodded. Randall glanced at her. "So there is a heart in there," he sighed. "Alright, what are we going to do?"

Ada handed him the keys Wesker had given her earlier and then explained who had taken Leon and what they were going to do about it.

"That is a bad plan," Randall said.

She shook her head. "No time for a good one."

"Fine, then. Off to find where she used to live, yeah? Better hurry." He turned, and then paused. "When this is all over, what are you going to do to her?"

Ada gave him a hard smile.

"I'm going to kill the bitch."

* * *

**Author's Note: What's in the compact, I wonder? Heh. Anyway, read, review, and spread the word! Next chapter is titled, what else? Chapter 9: "Kill the Bitch". **


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